The Tactician
by LinzRW
Summary: So a grouchy, anti-social "apprentice tactician" who lies like there's no tomorrow and has a bad habit of eavesdropping isn't the ideal heroine for a story. But at least she wins battles. Most of the time.
1. In Which I Make A Bad Decision

**Chapter One: In Which I Make A Bad Decision**

_**Lyn—Prologue: A Girl From The Plains**_

"Are you awake?" asked a girl in a patterned tunic. Her green hair fell into her eyes as she leaned over me.

I scooted backwards, taking the bed sheets with me, and almost fell off the sleeping mat onto the rough floor. The world came back into focus, and I saw that I was in a large tent filled with boxes and mats. Definitely not my home.

"I found you unconscious on the plains," the girl explained.

"Oh." My grip on the sheets tightened. I remembered bits and pieces. I'd been traveling through the Bern Mountains when a group of bandits attacked. I'd had to abandon my belongings in order to escape down the rocky slopes into the grasslands of Sacae. Regret tightened my chest as I thought of what I'd lost to the bandits—clothes, food, and my parents' maps.

The girl was watching me, waiting for an explanation.

I scratched the back of my head and tried to think of a suitable answer. "Bandits took my food and water. I remember wandering through Sacae after that, but not much else. I must've passed out from hunger…" It wasn't quite a lie. It just wasn't the truth either.

She nodded understandingly. "I'm Lyn of the Lorca Tribe. Don't worry. You're safe now. Who are you? Can you remember your name?"

"Nora," I said. "I'm Nora."

"Your name is Nora? What an odd sounding name." She seemed to realize that questioning someone's name was rude because she quickly added, "But pay me no mind. It's a good name. I see by your attire that you're a traveler. What brings you to the Sacae plains? Would you share your story with me?"

I was saved from having to come up with an answer by the sound of harsh, male voices outside the tent. Lyn's eyes widened, and she grabbed an iron sword from beside the sleeping mat. She snuck closer to the flap at the front of the tent, whispering as she moved, "I'll go see what's happening. Wait here for me, Nora."

She slipped out of the tent, leaving me alone amongst her belongings. I shoved the bed sheets off and got to my feet, planning to slip away before she returned. However, as soon as I stood up, a wave of nausea came over me and my knees almost gave out.

Right, I'd passed out from hunger. I'd completely forgotten.

The tent flap opened again, and Lyn came rushing back inside. "Bandits! They must have come down from the Bern Mountains!"

My hands curled into fists at the mention of the Bern Mountains. Was it possible that the bandits who had stolen my maps had followed me down into the Sacae plains? Perhaps they had brought my belongings with them. If I was careful enough, maybe I could steal my things back.

"They must be planning on raiding the local villages," said Lyn, thinking aloud. "I have to stop them. If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own." She glanced at me. "You'll be safe in here, Nora."

I stared at the skinny girl in front of me. She was a couple years younger than me, seventeen at the most. I didn't know how many bandits were out there or how skilled she was with a sword, but I didn't trust her to rescue my belongings on her own.

"I'll help," I said.

Lyn's eyes widened. "You want to help? Can you use a weapon?"

I hesitated. How could I describe my combat experience? "I, uh, have some tactical training…"

Lyn looked skeptical, and to be honest, I didn't blame her. "Tactical training" sounded suspicious to me too.

"Ah, I see," said Lyn slowly. "So you're a strategist by trade? An odd profession…"

I could see her internal debate as to whether she should bring me along or not. I willed her to agree. I needed to get my maps back.

"Very well," said Lyn finally. "We'll go together."

She started towards the exit, but before she could opened the tent flap, I said, "Uh, do you have any food?"

Lyn glanced over her shoulder, lips pursed in confusion, but then she must have realized that I'd fainted not long ago, because she grabbed an apple from a bowl near the door and tossed it to me. Taking a bite of the delicious, much-needed apple, I followed Lyn out of the tent.

The view was breathtaking. We were in a large, flat grassland with a clear, blue river to the east and the outline of gray mountain ridges to the south. A breeze shifted through the plain, disturbing broken blades of grass and kicking up an earthy smell.

There were two brigands that I could see, both wielding axes. I tried to recall everything my husband had told me about combat. The closest brigand didn't seem that skilled; his hold on the axe was incorrect. The second brigand was waiting outside the entrance of a ger. From the way he held himself and the way the other bandit responded to him, this one was the leader.

"If you want to help, Nora," said Lyn. "I could use your advice. I'll protect you, so stay close to me."

I frowned; I wasn't sure how I felt about being protected by a girl with arms like twigs. However, I didn't have much choice at the moment.

Judging from her fighting stance, Lyn's sword style resembled a Sacaen myrmidon—a sword-fighter whose sword skills relied on speed rather than strength. What a relief. I had experience working with a myrmidon, and that knowledge would make it easier to direct her.

"If we take advantage of your speed," I said, "then we should be fine. Move forward into the bandit's view. Let him come to you. You're faster than him, so if you dodge the first strike, you can counter and kill him before he can regain himself."

After a moment's hesitation, Lyn nodded. "All right. I'll trust you."

She moved forward as directed. I was surprised at how willing she was to trust a total stranger. For all she knew, I was in league with the bandits, sent ahead of the group in order to lull her into a false sense of security. Of course, maybe, in her experience, bandits weren't all too bright and such strategy was beyond them.

The bandit caught sight of Lyn as planned. He advanced on her and she let him swing his axe first. I breathed a sigh of relief when Lyn dodged the blow. Her counter was swift, and in three strikes, she managed to kill the bandit.

"You all right?" I asked, hurrying to her side.

"Yes." She smiled at me. "Thanks. If I'd been on my own, I would've charged forward without thinking and I wouldn't have gotten through that without a few cuts and bruises."

"Don't thank me yet," I said, staring over at the ger where the leader of the bandits was pacing about the entrance.

"Same strategy?" asked Lyn. "Let him throw the first strike and then counter?"

I nodded though I had the feeling the leader was going to be more difficult. Bandits tended to respect strength rather than intelligence.

As Lyn approached, the blond-haired leader gripped his sword and prepared for a fight.

"Who do you think you are?" he sneered. "You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?"

Lyn didn't say anything. As planned, she let the enemy strike first. Except this time, she wasn't quick enough to dodge and Batta's axe struck her side. Clutching her hip as blood dripped over her fingers, Lyn countered, but the cuts of her blade weren't deep enough to kill Batta.

"Nora, if I fall, I want you to flee." Lyn clutched her bleeding side. "You must escape."

I ignored her request and tried to think. I recalled the healing solutions that soldiers often carried around in flasks. I didn't have any on me, but maybe Lyn did. I shouted, "Do you have a vulnerary?"

"Ah, yes," said Lyn, backing away from Batta and his axe.

"Use it, quick! Another hit from Batta could kill you."

Lyn grabbed a flask from her rucksack and downed the drink. The blood stopped flowing from her side, and the energy seemed to come rushing back to Lyn. She was no longer standing at an odd angle, but held her sword with proper form, keeping her eyes trained on Batta. He struck again, but this time Lyn dodged and was able to counter properly. She buried the blade of her iron sword into Batta's chest and he cried out in pain.

"What?" gasped Batta, crumpling to his knees. "How…how did you…?"

The bandit fell still, his blood staining the grass at Lyn's feet red. Revulsion and regret flashed across her face. Killing was never a pleasant experience even when it was necessary. I stared down at Batta's distorted, pale face and felt the bile rise in my throat. The battle itself may be anything from a strategic masterpiece to a chaotic mess, but the aftermath was always grotesque.

"That was close," said Lyn, turning to me with a forced smile. "Sorry if I worried you. I sorely underestimated him. I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive. Strong enough that no one can defeat me."

"There's always someone better," I said.

I stepped past Batta's corpse and moved around the side of the ger. I found the bags of loot that the bandits had brought down with them from the Bern Mountains. Sure enough, my leather rucksack was amongst the stolen goods. I loosened the drawstring and saw that my maps, clothes, food, and water were all untouched.

"Is that yours?" asked Lyn. "These were the bandits who attacked you?"

"Yes." I picked up the rucksack and slung it over my shoulder. I glanced at Lyn. She was looking at me with such hope in her eyes. I didn't know what she expected from me, but I was certain I couldn't help her. I mean, as things were, I could barely help myself.

"Well," I said. "Thanks for rescuing me—but I've got to be going now."

"You're leaving?" asked Lyn. "Already?"

"I can't stay in one place for long." I paused, realizing that this might sound too suspicious. So I added a little lie: "I'm a traveler to the bone—I get antsy if I wake up to the same scenery two days in a row."

Lyn suddenly looked stricken. Like she couldn't bear the idea of me leaving. Desperately, she cried, "I have food! Lots and lots of food."

Damn it. If she had said anything else, I would've walked away. I would've continued on my journey to put as much distance between me and Bern as possible. But food… Well, I had passed out from hunger not too long ago. It would only benefit me if I stayed and ate dinner with Lyn.

I turned to face her. "I'll stay one more day. But then I have to be off."

A wide, triumphant smile spread across Lyn's face.

* * *

"Good morning, Nora! Are you awake yet?" Lyn's overly cheerful voice startled me awake.

Dragged from my dream of Bernese tea, endless feasts, and ocean sunsets, I glared up at Lyn's grinning face. Suppressing a sigh, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Now I am."

Lyn's smile faltered. "That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you."

"I didn't actually do any of the fighting," I muttered before sliding out of bed and rummaging through my rucksack for a change of clothes. "But my body's still recovering from starvation, remember?"

"Mm…" Lyn went oddly silent for a few minutes.

I took advantage of the silence to change into my travel clothes—gray hosiery, loose-fitting black tunic, two decorative belts, leather boots, and a dark green riding cloak. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder and, making sure that I had all my belongings, headed for the tent exit. However, I stopped when I realized that something was bothering Lyn. Since I owed her for feeding me, I waited in the entryway for her to tell me whatever was on her mind.

"Say, Nora," she said slowly. "I want to talk to you about something." She glanced over at me nervously. "You have some experience in the ways of war, I can see. Would you allow me to travel with you?"

Damn. I wished I hadn't stayed to hear her thoughts. Even if I owed her a debt for her hospitality, I was fleeing from my homeland and I couldn't afford to bring a random stranger with me.

Wracking my brains for some sort of excuse, I settled on, "Would your parents allow you to travel across Sacae with an apprentice tactician?"

"You…" Lyn swallowed. "You want me to get permission from my parents?"

I nodded. I really hoped she had strict parents.

"My mother and father died six months ago," said Lyn softly.

Oh shit. Well, that excuse was a big mistake. Not only did I have no reason to refuse her now, I had just stumbled on an emotional landmine.

"My people—the Lorca—they didn't…" For some reason, Lyn felt obliged to explain what had happened to her family. "I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits attacked, and…they killed so many people. The tribe was shattered. My father was our chieftain, and I tried to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. They wouldn't follow me." Lyn sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her right hand. "I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long." She took a deep breath. "No. No more. I will shed no more tears."

From the moment Lyn had started crying, I'd been too stunned to do anything. I'd never been good at handling tears, my own or other people's. It made sense though, Lyn's story. She'd been so desperate to keep me around yesterday, even going as far as offering me food. She'd been living here on her own for so long that any company—even the company of a grouchy, antisocial "apprentice tactician"—was a miracle.

"Thank you," said Lyn suddenly, swallowing back the rest of her tears.

I had no idea what she was thanking me for—I'd just stood there like a clueless idiot while she told me of her tribe's tragedy. Maybe she was thanking me for not running away at the first sign of tears.

"Nora." Lyn's eyes were blazing with a sudden intensity. "I want, no, I must become stronger so that I can avenge my father's death. Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. Nora, tell me that you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you."

Pity. That was what I felt as Lyn passionately asked to travel with me. She was a proud member of the Lorca Tribe, yet she had been reduced to asking for my help. Me, the runaway from Bern who had abandoned her husband to save her own skin. Next to Lyn, I felt small and ugly, a coward who cared only for herself. Pity combined with some sort of self-loathing was what caused me to say, "All right. You can come with me. I'll train you."

"You will?" cried Lyn, flinging her arms around my shoulders in her excitement. "That's just wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you! We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"

I pried her off me and said, "You're lucky. I have some experience with your style of fighting."

"You see, we were meant to be! Let me get my things. We'll leave as soon as possible."

I watched Lyn hurry around the tent, shoving her belongings into a rucksack, and resisted the urge to groan. Now that she was no longer crying, I had come back to my senses. I was pretty inexperienced in applied tactics; everything I'd learned came from chess and theoretical conversations. And I'd never taught anyone anything before—and now, Lyn was expecting me to train her? Not to mention, we were going to be running from assassins while I was attempting (and most likely failing) to teach Lyn swordsmanship.

Yeah. This was definitely a bad idea.


	2. In Which Idiotic Knights Interfere

**Chapter Two: In Which Idiotic Knights Interfere**

_**Lyn—Chapter 1: Footsteps Of Fate**_

My parents, Jon and Aretha Everett, were mapmakers from the city of Trunnel in Bern. Their interest in cartography had led to their interest in travel, and during the first seventeen years of my life, my parents had journeyed all across Elibe. They visited the countries of Eturia, Lycia, Ilia, and Sacae. They sailed to the Western Isles and they walked through the Nabata Desert. They had traveled far and wide, making maps of and taking notes on the places they had seen.

While my parents had been off on adventures, I'd been left in Trunnel with my aunt. My childhood memories were mostly of my parents' absence. Even during the few months that they were in Trunnel, my parents spent most of that time shut away in the library, planning their next trip. The happiest memories of my childhood were of the evenings when my father and mother returned from the library and settled around the fireplace to recount their travels. I'd sat at their feet and listened quietly as they talked of distant places containing magic, flying horses, shifting sands, and mythical dragons.

The reason I bring this up now is that the next stage in Lyn's and my journey brought us to Bulgar, the commercial center of Sacae. My mother said that her first reaction to Bulgar was "busy" and "wild", but the longer she spent there, the more she began to appreciate the mosaic patterns in the fabrics and the bright colors Sacaeans wore.

As I entered the city of Bulgar for the first time, I realized that my parents had been telling the truth. Sacaean cities were very different from Bernese cities. Mountains were plenty in Bern, and therefore our buildings were often carved from stone. In the grasslands, however, the buildings were made of mud-bricks with tents placed in between. The vast majority of the crowd was dressed in the vivid green and blue tunics that were customary in Sacae. However, I could pick out the occasional Lycian cloak and Bernese belt worn by merchants and travelers.

I pulled my green cloak closer around me and kept my head down. I hated crowds. No matter how lovely the Sacaean designs were to look at, I could never feel comfortable in a place with so many strangers.

"We should purchase supplies for our journey," said Lyn as we entered the marketplace on the south side of the city.

"We'll need a lot," I said, glaring at a green-haired woman who had bumped into me. "It's a long way to Etruria from here."

"There will be other places to resupply along the way," said Lyn. "The next city is Murais. It's about ten days on foot from here."

"We should buy supplies for fifteen days, then," I said. "Always be prepared for the worst—"

"Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!"

A deep voice broke through our conversation, and we turned to see a tall, Lycian knight in green armor walking towards us. His hair was dirt-blond in the sunlight, and he had a winning smile plastered on his face.

"Hm?" Lyn took one look at the knight before turning around and walking in the opposite direction as quickly as she could.

_Well_, I thought, _at least she has some sense when it comes to men_.

"Wait, o beauteous one!" cried the knight, chasing after her. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?"

I gawked at him. Was this knight real? Do people who talk like that actually exist?

Lyn stopped in her tracks and rounded on the knight, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Where are you from, sir knight, that you can speak so freely to a stranger?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He actually bowed. "I am from Lycia. Caelin to be precise, home to men of passion and fire!"

Lyn snorted. "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?"

The knight feigned injury, clutching his hands to his chest. "Oh…you're even lovely when you're cruel."

Lyn looked sorely tempted to try out the new sword skill I'd taught her on the knight. However, she managed to control herself. She turned to me and said, "Let's go, Nora. I've nothing more to say to him."

She stormed off, leaving me next to the idiot knight. He turned his hazel eyes on me and started to smile. "O fair and—"

"I'm married," I said, flatly, before following Lyn down the street.

"Wait! Please!" The knight called after us.

Lyn ignored him and continued walking. It was only after we turned a corner that I said, "You know all the supplies stores are back down that street, right?"

Lyn stared at me for a second, registering what I'd just said. Then, she buried her face in her hands and groaned. "You mean we have to go back and see that wretched flirt again?"

"Either that or wait here for a few minutes and hope he goes away," I said, shrugging. "Though _I'm_ in a rush to get to Etruria…"

Turning away from Lyn, I headed back down the street. She followed reluctantly, saying, "I don't know how anyone could put up with him."

"Practice," I said. "I know a fair few idiots back home."

"Where's that?" asked Lyn. "You still haven't told me where you're from."

"Look," I said, gesturing down the street. "The idiot knight has a friend."

Sure enough, the green knight was no longer alone. A shorter, broader man dressed in red armor stood next to him, holding the reins of a horse. The two knights were talking, and from his facial expression, the red one seemed to be irritated with his companion. Well, who can blame him?

Having completely forgotten about my "mysterious" homeland, Lyn gritted her teeth and marched up to the two knights. "Excuse me! You're blocking the road. If you would be so kind as to move your horses…"

The red knight led his horse to the side of the road, saying, "Of course. My apologies."

"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough," said Lyn, throwing a scathing look in the green knight's direction.

The red knight wasn't listening to Lyn's thanks, but instead staring at her through intense brown eyes. "Hm? Pardon me, but I feel we've met before."

Lyn and I both gawked at the red knight. So first Lyn had to put up with being called "o beauteous one" and now she had to put up with the "have we met before?" line. What was with these knights of Caelin?

"Hey! No fair, Kent. I saw her first," cried the green knight.

Lyn clicked her tongue in disapproval. "It seems there are no decent men among Lycia's knights. Let's go, Nora. I've run out of patience."

She pushed her way past the knights and continued down the street (this time in the right direction).

"Wait, please! It's not like that!" Kent cried after her, but at this point, Lyn would listen to no one. Kent groaned and whacked his companion on the shoulder. "Sain, you lout!"

With a smirk in the direction of the idiot knights, I followed Lyn down the street. Hopefully, that would be the last we'd see of them. One cling-on was enough; I wouldn't survive Sacae if the two knights started following us around, composing love ballads to Lyn.

* * *

"Run!" shouted Lyn. "We're being pursued! Could it be those knights from town?" She looked over her shoulder at the brigands chasing us. "No…it's not them."

Just my luck, I thought as we sprinted through the long grass, heading toward some ruins to the north. Lyn and I were barely an hour outside of Bulgar, and already a group of bandits had decided to attack us. I glanced over my shoulder, trying to get a good look at our pursuers. They definitely weren't from Bern—which meant that _another_ group of random bandits had decided we'd be good targets. What kind of cruel joke was that?

A gray-haired bandit with a jagged, puffy scar on the left side of his face appeared at the head of the group. He caught sight of Lyn and a wide grin spread across his face. "Aren't you the pretty one? Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"

Lyn came to a halt behind a thick patch of grass and turned to stare at the leader. "What did you call me? Who are you?"

I looked from Lyn to the bandits and back. Something wasn't adding up here.

"That's her, Zugu!" shouted one of the brigands.

The leader, Zugu, shook his head and made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. "Such a waste of a beauty. An absolute waste. The things I do for gold… Ah, well. C'mon, boys!"

The other bandits started to spread out across the terrain. They planned to close in from all sides. Individually, the bandits didn't look like anything special; Lyn could beat them if it was a one-on-one fight, but…

"There are more than I can handle," said Lyn, her face paling. She glanced at me and, thinking I needed encouragement for some reason, added, "But I won't give up, Nora!"

"Calm down," I said. "If we take advantage of the bushes and move so that they reach us one at a time, surviving shouldn't be a problem. Of course, if they cooperate—"

"Hey! There she is!" shouted a familiar voice.

The two knights from the marketplace, Kent and Sain they'd called each other, appeared from behind the ruins, their horses galloping at full speed.

I immediately took back all the thoughts I'd had about never wanting to see them again—I'd never been happier to see two idiots in my whole life.

"Finally caught up…" said Sain as he and Kent came to a halt beside us. Their horses were breathing heavily from the run, sides heaving in and out. Sain scanned the landscape, his eyes widening when he saw how many bandits had surrounded us. He pointed to the leader and shouted, "Such numbers against two girls? Cowards, every one of you!"

Lyn, who still hadn't fully grasped everything that was going on, stared at Sain and spluttered, "You! You're from—"

"We can discuss that later," said Kent, cutting her off. "It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, let them look to me!"

Sain maneuvered his horse into a more advantageous position and grabbed his lance. "Stand back! I'll take care of this!"

I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was truly this big of an idiot, and then sighed. "Sain, you do know that these bandits are all axe-wielders. Your lance will be practically useless."

"What?" Sain looked down at his lance and then up at me. "I don't have a sword with me, o fair and married one. I was going to purchase one in Bulgar, but we left in a hurry to pursue you two beauties. But do not fear! Axe or sword, my lance will triumph!"

"No!" cried Lyn. "This is my fight! Stay out of my way."

Sain frowned. "Well, I can't just stand here and do nothing…"

I could understand her reluctance to accept help from two flirts who had actually followed/stalked us out of Bulgar. However, we were in a tight spot, and I had the feeling there was more going on here than a random bandit raid.

"I have a solution," said Kent. (I was beginning to appreciate his level-headedness.) He pointed to me. "You there, command us. I am Kent, a knight of Lycia. My companion is Sain. We will follow your orders in this battle." He turned to Lyn. "Is that acceptable, milady?"

Lyn hesitated, but I think the reality of the situation was finally getting to her. No matter how stubborn she was, she could recognize that we were outnumbered. "Yes, it is," she said. "Nora and I will lead. Let's go!"

During this exchange, the bandits had been closing in on us. In a couple of minutes, their axes would be at our throats. It was best to concentrate on the ones nearest to us. Sain's lance would be a pain, but both Lyn and Kent had swords, so they could take out most of the bandits between the two of them.

"O fair and married one!" shouted Sain. "Allow me to show you the might of a knight of Lycia—let me be the first to strike a blow in your honor!"

I glowered at him. "O swordless one, stop talking. I'm trying to think."

Well, Sain's lance wasn't totally useless. If the bandit was unskilled or unlucky enough, Sain could do some damage to the brigand nearest to us. Then I could send Lyn to deal with another bandit who was coming from the south. Take care of two brigands at once instead of just one.

"All right, Sain," I said. "I'm trusting you."

Aiming for the nearest brigand, Sain charged forward and brought his lance down towards the bandit's chest. Surprise, surprise, the bandit dodged and countered with his axe. Sain managed to stop the blow from decapitating him with his shield, but his body was tense with pain from the impact of metal on metal.

"Idiot knight," I muttered.

At my instruction, Kent attacked the bandit, and unlike his partner, his blow actually landed. The bandit stumbled backwards, blood dripping from his shoulder. Lyn raced over to the bandit and swung her sword. Her first swing connected, she dodged the counter, and then landed the finishing strike. The bandit gargled on blood before collapsing at her feet.

"All right," I said, trying not to look at the corpse. "Kent, Sain, you're going to deal with the bandit to the south while Lyn deals with the one to the north. Then we'll meet near the bridge and deal with the leader." I glanced at Sain, who was still trembling in pain. "Do you have any vulneraries?"

"I have some," said Kent.

Sain scratched the back of his head. "I, ah, may have forgotten to buy some in Bulgar."

"Forgot?" asked Kent. "Or simply too busy flirting with the ladies?"

Sain grinned in response.

I fought the urge to hit him as I said, "Lyn, give him some of yours."

Lyn handed a couple flasks to Sain, saying, "We bought extra in Bulgar since one should always be prepared for the worst." She sent a smug glance in my direction.

"Thank you most graciously, o beauteous one," said Sain. "And next time, I shall heed your advice."

After using a vulnerary, Sain, followed by Kent, headed to the south. Sheltered by a patch of long grass, Sain managed to get the upper hand and drove his lance through the brigand's abdomen. Then Kent dealt the final blow with his sword. I went with Lyn to the north where she finished the brigand in three quick strokes, dodging his axe with ease. Then, as planned, we met in front of the bridge.

There were two bandits left—Zugu and a subordinate. It was easy to lure the subordinate out; Kent and Sain hid out of sight and Lyn wandered into the bandit's view. The bandit came running across the bridge, thinking that he was facing one lone girl, only to meet Kent's sword.

Leaving only Zugu to deal with.

As per my instructions, Kent and Lyn closed in on him. When he saw the two approaching, he let out a little groan and said, "Accursed knights, always tampering in others' affairs."

Lyn quickly stabbed the leader's shoulders, dodging his axe, and then Kent drove his sword through the leader's chest.

"There was only supposed to be one lone girl…" Zugu choked on blood in order to say these last, few words.

I cringed, always hating the moment when the enemy felt the shock and pain and realized he was going to die. It was a moment I'd seen many times in the past, and a moment I would probably see many times again. Still, nothing made it easier.

"That's the last of them," said Lyn, cleaning her sword. "Good work, Nora."

I tore my eyes away from the body. I had no right to complain about death. It wasn't like I was the one doing the actual stabbing.

"It was fairly basic," I said. "These bandits had no coordination."

Lyn smiled; traveling together for four days meant she was getting used to my curt comments. Her smile faded, however, as she turned to face Kent and Sain. "You were going to share your story with me?"

Kent finished cleaning his sword and sheathed it. Holding onto the reins of his horse, he said, "Yes. We have ventured from the Lycian territory of Caelin in search of someone."

"Lycia," murmured Lyn. "That's the country beyond the mountains in the south-west, isn't it?"

I frowned. It always unsettled me when someone had only a basic understanding of geography—sometimes I forgot that not everyone had spent their childhood memorizing maps in an attempt to receive attention from their parents.

"Correct," said Kent, who didn't seem troubled in the slightest that Lyn was unsure where exactly Lycia was. "We've come as messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some nineteen years ago."

"Madelyn?" Lyn's eyes widened.

Kent nodded. "She was our lord, the marquess of Caelin's only daughter. He was heartbroken that his own child would abandon him so. Eventually, the marquess simply declared that he had no daughter."

"And then," said Sain, eager to pick up the story. "This year, we received a letter from Lady Madelyn. It said she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains. The marquess was ecstatic to learn he had a granddaughter of eighteen years. I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. The granddaughter's name is Lyndis—which was also the name of the marquess's wife, who passed away at an early age."

"Lyndis?" repeated Lyn.

"That she should bear this name thawed the marquess's heart," said Sain. "Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once. This is why we're here. We didn't know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter…we only learnt this shortly after arriving here in Bulgar."

"But we also learned all was not lost," said Kent. "Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was dwelling alone on the plains…" Kent glanced at Lyn, and a little hesitantly said, "I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis."

Lyn frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable," said Kent.

"What?" asked Lyn. "Did you know my mother?"

Kent shook his head. "I'm sorry to say that I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin."

Lyn hesitated. She stared first at Kent, then at Sain, and finally, at me. She sent me a regretful smile before saying, "To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents…when it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis." She swallowed, taking a second to regain herself. "It's all so strange. I was all alone in the world, and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis…I never thought I would hear that name again."

"Well," I said. "This is all very nice, but there's still something I don't understand."

"The bandit!" cried Lyn. "He called me Lyndis too!"

"Yes. That." I turned to the two knights. "Those bandits targeted us specifically. Why? Is Lyn's heritage common knowledge?"

"What?" Kent looked about wildly, as if afraid the bandits might come back to life and try to kill Lyn again. "How could they have known?"

Sain released his horse's reins and walked over to the corpse of the leader. Squatting down to get a good look at the face, Sain said, "He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren, wasn't he?"

"Lundgren?" asked Lyn. "Who's that?"

Kent grimaced. "He is the marquess's younger brother. Everyone assumed the lady Madelyn was gone forever. This made Lord Lundgren heir to the marquess's title."

Sain got to his feet and stepped away from the corpse. "To be blunt, milady, your existence is an obstacle to your granduncle's ambitions."

"That's…that's…" Lyn's face was turning red. "But I have no interest in inheriting any title!"

"Unfortunately," said Sain, "your granduncle is the sort of man who only understands ambition. I believe the attempts on your life will persist."

I stared at Sain. I was beginning to reevaluate his character. He may be a flirt who spoke like an idiot, but he wasn't entirely stupid—he had recognized Lundgren's henchman after all. Kent was certainly the more reliable of the two, but perhaps Sain was the more intelligent.

While I was adjusting my worldview, Lyn, on the other hand, was having a different internal struggle. She turned to me with wide, blue eyes and asked, "What should I do?"

I shrugged. "It's your decision."

"Accompany us to Caelin," said Kent. "Continuing on with just the two of you is dangerous."

"Not to discount your credibility, o fair and married one." Sain winked at me.

I didn't blame Lyn for looking so haggard. It was a difficult choice to make. If she didn't travel with the knights, the two of us would have to face Lundgren's soldiers alone. If she did travel with the knights, she would have to travel to Caelin and face Lundgren himself.

Lyn bit her lower lip, thinking hard. Finally, she let out a sigh and said, "I feel like I have little choice. I will go with you, sir knights."

"Thank you for trusting us," said Kent with a little bow.

"We shall travel together, my beautiful, radiant lady!" cried Sain.

As the two knights busied themselves with readying their horses for the journey ahead, Lyn said to me, "Nora, I'm sorry."

"Why?" I asked.

"I know you want to go to Etruria," said Lyn. "But your companionship would do much to ease my journey. It will be dangerous, of course, and I do not wish to put you in harm's way…" She looked at me with those hopeful blue eyes. "Will you come with me, Nora?"

I had awful luck. Of all the people who could've saved me from bandits, it would be a Lycian heiress being hunted by her own granduncle. Then again, Lyn's luck was just as awful. Of all the people she could've saved from bandits, it would be a Bernese apprentice tactician being hunted by her own in-laws. What were the odds that the two of us should meet in such a way? The irony of the whole situation was what convinced me.

"I didn't have my heart set on Etruria," I said. "Lycia works as well."

A wide smile spread across Lyn's face. "You'll come? Are you sure?"

I scowled. "I said I would come, didn't I?"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Lyn was practically jumping around on the spot. "You are a true friend, Nora. Let me ask once again for your companionship and your aid!"

Well, at least, she didn't try to hug me this time.


	3. In Which Sain Finally Gets A Sword

**Chapter Three: In Which Sain Finally Gets A Sword**

_**Lyn—Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits**_

The Mani Katti, a sword infused with spirits, supposedly resided in the temple. My parents had visited this exact same holy altar nine years ago; in their stories, my parents had described the temple as ethereal and profound, but honestly, as we approached, I thought it looked like little more than mud-brick ruins with the west wall crumbling and ready to fall apart at any moment.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked.

Lyn nodded. "The people of Sacae often pray here at the onset of a long journey."

"Oh, how quaint!" cried Sain. I glanced over at Sain's horse, and I swear the beast was rolling her eyes at him.

"The teachings of Elimine are the most popular in Elibe," said Kent. "It's nice to see that, in some places, the ancient customs are still observed."

We had just passed the village and were nearing the forts to west of the temple when a woman in a long, brown dress came running towards us along the dirt path. At Lyn's insistence, we stopped walking and waited for her to catch up.

Gasping for breath, the woman addressed Lyn, "I beg your pardon, milady. Are you headed east? To the altar?"

"Yes," said Lyn. "We are indeed."

"You must help the priest there," cried the woman. "I saw a band of local ruffians head in there not too long ago. From their conversation, they seemed intent on stealing the sacred Mani Katti!"

Lyn placed a hand on the hilt of her iron sword as all her Sacaean pride flared up within her. "They're going to steal the Mani Katti? I cannot allow this to happen!"

The village woman nodded. "You look like a virtuous group. Please, help the priest!"

I almost laughed aloud at the idea of me being part of a "virtuous group". I restrained only because I didn't think laughter was appropriate for the situation.

Sain leaned forward in his saddle. "Lyndis, what are you planning?"

Kent grimaced. "If you go to the priest's aid, you'll need to prepare. We shouldn't charge in ignorant."

I scoffed. "Speak for yourself."

"Kent's right," said Lyn. "There are some homes to the south of us. Perhaps we should go there and question the residents."

Being the antisocial creature that I am, I was reluctant to talk to the villagers. However, I realized I could always have Lyn, Kent, and Sain do the actual talking while I listened in from a safe distance.

Lyn led the way into the village, knocking on the door of the first house we came across. A middle-aged woman answered the door, and after some questions about the temple, she said, "One of the altar's walls is cracked and in poor repair. You might be able to create another entrance by hitting that section with your weapons."

"See," said Lyn, after she thanked the woman and left. "Wasn't that helpful?"

"I could already see that the west wall was cracked," I said. "Do you have so little faith in me that you think I need help from villagers?"

"You never know," said Lyn. "Someone might have some useful information."

Sain took charge of visiting the next house. A bald man came out, and after some nonsensical ramblings about the local ruffians having no respect, he said, "Rough landscape make it more difficult to be hit, but they're also difficult to traverse. If you're riding on horseback, crossing will be slow and difficult. Be careful of the hill lands to the south."

After thanking the man and leaving the house, Sain returned to us with a sigh. "And here I was hoping a lovely village lass would answer the door."

I stared at Lyn. "I'm still waiting for that _useful information_."

"Milady Lyndis is right to check with the villagers," said Kent as he moved on to the final occupied house.

The door was answered by a young lady (Sain was jealous) who said, "Do you know much about the sword held at the altar? It's called the Mani Katti, blessed by the spirits. According to the priest, the Mani Katti is waiting for the right owner to appear."

"Really," said Kent, trying to think of a good response to this unnecessary information.

"It's so odd, don't you think?" mused the young woman. "The idea that a sword can choose who will wield it?"

When Kent returned to us, even he seemed exhausted by the village visit, his head hanging a little lower than before.

"Lyn could've told us as much," he conceded.

"I told you," I said. "Now, while we've been busy learning things we already know, the bandits have crossed the mountains and are coming to the village." I pointed behind me where the distant figures of the bandits could be seen, making their way across the plain. "Kent, Sain, I want you to go to the forts and fight the bandits from there. The higher ground will give you the advantage." I glanced at Sain. "And hopefully that'll make up for_ someone_ trying to fight brigands with a lance."

Sain grinned sheepishly before he and Kent headed north to the forts. The small, stone structures were magic-infused lookout platforms that had been used in the old days for scrying the landscape. They'd long since lost most of their magic, but they still gave those who stood on them a height advantage and a small amount of healing magic.

"All right, Lyn." I said. "You and I are going to hide in the long grass."

Thankfully, the bandits reached our group only after everyone was in position. To no one's surprise, the first bandit went for the weakest—Sain. However, the advantage of the fort meant that Sain had an easier time dodging the axe and his lance hit the target. The second bandit came after Lyn, but she dodged his blow and landed two of her own. Kent stepped down from his fort and stabbed the first brigand with his sword, killing the man, and then Lyn made the finishing blow to the second brigand. A third bandit came down from the mountains, but two blows from Lyn and one from Kent stopped him.

I stepped around the bandit's corpse, trying not to look at his cleaved open chest, and examined the cracked wall in the west side of the temple.

"Sain," I said, calling him over. "I need you to stab this wall with your lance."

"Your wish is my command, o fair and married one." Sain thrust his lance into the wall. Bits of mud-brick fell away but not enough to open a hole.

"Try again," I said.

Sain did as told.

By the third blow, the wall collapsed entirely and we were able to see inside the temple. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to look around since there were two bandits waiting inside—the sword-wielding leader, who announced himself as the undefeatable Glass, was perched on the altar and the axe-wielding subordinate was charging towards us, weapon drawn.

"Kent, get the brigand," I said. "And Sain, your lance is going to be useful for once, since the leader has a sword—you can handle him, right?"

"I'm touched you have so much faith in me, my—"

"Lyn," I said, cutting off Sain before he went into another one of his speeches. "There's one more brigand guarding the front. You can deal with him."

Given their directions, my soldiers/minions entered the temple. Kent managed to kill the subordinate in two hits, though he was injured in the process. Sain stabbed Glass in the thigh, crippling the man, but in return, received a sword wound in the calf. Lyn waited in the doorway of the temple for the bandit outside to catch sight of her. Glass gathered himself together for one final strike, but Sain dodged the blow and killed Glass with a lance through the throat.

I winced as dark red blood spilled over the floor of the altar. I was sure there was some heavenly rule about murder in holy places.

The brigand from outside had noticed Lyn and came running in to kill her. His axe hit her left arm and Lyn staggered backwards; however, she managed to land two quick counter strikes and a third blow finished the ruffian.

Injured and tired, Kent, Sain, and Lyn looked around the temple. Sain was clutching his left leg, Kent's shoulder might've been dislocated, and Lyn's tunic sleeve was turning purple from the blood.

"Not your finest victory," said Kent, wincing in pain.

"Don't be a baby," I said. "It's nothing a vulnerary won't heal."

"I'd take your words a little more seriously if you were wielding a sword as well," said Kent.

"Who knows, maybe I'll take up the sword one day." I shrugged. "Maybe I'll even wield magic too."

"You're too ambitious," murmured Kent.

"The leader dropped a vulnerary," said Lyn. She picked up a flask from beside the leader's corpse. There was a bit of a blood on the gold-painted metal.

"Lovely," I muttered.

A door to the right of the altar opened and a man in white robes stepped out. Relief washed over his face when he saw that we were not the brigands who had invaded his temple.

"Your clothing," said the priest, looking at Lyn. "Are you of the Lorca tribe?"

"I'm Lyn, the chieftain's daughter. Are you hurt, sir?"

The priest shook his head. "Thanks to you, I am unscathed. You have my gratitude."

"And the sword?" asked Lyn. "Is it safe?"

Bursting with Sacaean pride, the priest drew himself to his full height and said, "Yes, I have sealed the sword safely away. Until I remove my spell, the sword cannot be drawn." He calmed down a little, realizing that Lyn hadn't meant her question as an insult. "Now, as a token of my gratitude, I shall allow you to lay hands upon the Mani Katti. Touch the blade's pattern, and pray for a safe journey."

He reentered the side room, and when he returned, he was carrying a long, white blade with a decorative handle. He held the blade out to Lyn, and with trembling hands, she took the Mani Katti from him.

What happened next is indescribable. My parents talked about the temple as if it were some holy sanctuary, but I had never considered it as anything more than mud-bricks. Upon seeing the Mani Katti, I realized that it was not the altar that was divine, but the sword. The sword was something truly ethereal. It seemed to come to life in Lyn's hands, the blade glimmering as if reflecting sunlight—except that we were indoors.

"The sword," whispered Lyn. "It's…glowing."

"Ah." A smile appeared on the priest's face. "It's the power of the spirits. Lyn, they have looked into your soul, and they call out to you."

"What does that mean?" asked Lyn.

"You are the rightful owner. You are to wield the Mani Katti."

Lyn stared at the priest, her grip on the sword tightening. "No. I can't…I couldn't…"

"It is the sword's wish," said the priest. "If you require proof, draw it from its sheath."

We all watched, holding our breaths, as Lyn gripped the handle and drew the sacred blade from its sheath.

"It came out effortlessly," said Lyn. "I thought no one could draw the sword…"

The priest placed a hand to his chest. "I never dared hope that I might meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am indeed fortunate to see your sword reach your hands."

"My sword?" asked Lyn.

The priest nodded. "The Mani Katti does not choose its owner lightly."

"I should hope not," I muttered. "Or everyone would have a sacred sword—even Sain."

Sain laughed. "I don't even have an iron sword."

I glowered at Sain's lance and said, "Maybe it'd be better for me if sacred swords _did_ choose their owners lightly."

The priest glared at me for a moment (I was probably offending the holy altar or something). Turning away from me, he examined the ruined west wall of the temple and said, "More bandits may come to avenge Glass. It is time for you to go, Lyn. You will face a great many ordeals. Grip this sword, and meet your destiny head-on."

Lyn hesitated before sliding the Mani Katti back into its sheath. "Yes, sir."

* * *

A few minutes later, after healing all battle wounds, we were back on the road to Caelin. Lyn and I walked on the ground, the grass and dirt crunching beneath our boots, while Kent and Sain road along behind us. During our first day of travel, Lyn and I had complained that Kent and Sain never did any walking, while our feet were killing us. Since then, we had taken turns riding. I was pretty sure it was Lyn's and my turn now, but Lyn was too preoccupied with her new sword to notice that we were being cheated out of our rest time.

"So this is the Mani Katti," said Sain, peering at the sword over Lyn's shoulder. "A blade with no equal."

"This is all so unbelievable," murmured Lyn. "Perhaps the most famous sword in all of Sacae…in my hands."

"It's not so strange," said Kent. "In fact, many legends tell similar tales. Special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners. And yet, when I saw you draw that blade, Lyndis…I felt something extraordinary. That sword was waiting for you. You were meant to draw it."

"Stop it!" Lyn had turned stark white while Kent was talking. "I'm nothing special."

"Think of it this way," said Sain. "Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does it make it any easier for you to accept?"

Again, I was surprised by Sain's sudden display of intelligence. To think that in this situation Kent would be the tactless one and Sain would be the one to know what to say. My impression of Sain improved a notch.

Lyn was staring down at her sword. "It does feel right in my hand." She ran a hand along the sheath. "A blade that only I can wield. What have I done to deserve such a gift? Why choose me? I feel as though the Mani Katti expects me to do something great. I fear I shall disappoint it." She lifted the blade and turned to me. "Look at it, Nora. This is the Mani Katti, my sword."

"Well," I said, shifting the weight of the rucksack on my back. "Now that you have your spirit-infused sword, Lyn, do you think you could give Sain your old iron one? I'm tired of worrying about his lance going up against axes."

Sain grinned and leaned over me from his saddle. "Are you worried for me, o fair and married one?"

I glared up at him.

Kent sighed. "Nora, we have just witnessed a sacred blade choosing its owner, and you're worried about Sain's lance."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a tactician to the end."


	4. In Which We Become A Legion

**Chapter Four: In Which We Become A Legion**

_**Lyn—Chapter 3: Band of Mercenaries**_

And so, after ten days of walking, I was back at the foot of the Bern Mountains. But this time I was on the south side of the jagged mountain range. I was in Bern.

Every step I took on Bernese soil was a reminder of what I had left behind and why. An overwhelming part of me wanted to abandon Lyn, head south to Rion Village, and find my husband. The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that he would never forgive me for leaving him.

I plodded along the rocky path beside Lyn. Kent and Sain rode their horses a little ways ahead of us, arguing about something trivial. My stomach let out a low growl. I glared down at it. We'd only eaten traveling food for the past few days, and now I couldn't eat another bite of those disgusting dried berries, no matter how hungry I was.

"Are you feeling all right, Nora?" asked Lyn. "You look a little down."

"Do I?"

"I guess this brings back bad memories," said Lyn.

I stared at her, wondering if she'd figured out my connection to Bern and if she somehow knew the reason why I'd run away.

"Being attacked by bandits from the Bern Mountains was a harsh experience," said Lyn.

"Oh. Yes." In all honestly, I'd completely forgotten about how Lyn and I had met. The drama of Lyn being the heiress of Castle Caelin and becoming the owner of the Mani Katti had completely overshadowed the bandits.

"This area's filled with bandits, unfortunately," said Lyn. "The worst of which are the Taliver. They wreak havoc on both sides of the mountains, in both Bern and Sacae."

"Oh, I've heard of the Taliver," I said.

"Where?" asked Lyn. "I didn't realize they were so famous outside of Sacae and Bern."

"I don't remember," I lied.

After a couple more hours of walking, we came across an example of mountain bandits' atrocities—a ruined village with its homes burnt down, its walls crumbling, and its people hiding inside the two houses left standing. Some brigands, their axes strapped to their backs, were still wandering around the village streets, talking in loud, gravelly voices.

"This place," murmured Lyn. "It's…"

"The entire area is in ruins," said Sain, frowning. "Why doesn't their marquess do anything to help?"

"The Taliver Mountain is home to a gang of vicious, ruthless bandits," explained Lyn, her voice tight. "No marquess holds power here. My village was near here, on the other side of the mountain. My people were…" She gulped. "The Taliver bandits came at night. That's all it took. One night. The survivors numbered less than ten, including me." She gritted her teeth. "The Taliver are soulless beasts. I will never forgive them. Never."

"Lyndis," murmured Sain, pity in his hazel eyes.

Kent was half-turned in his saddle, watching Lyn carefully.

"I am not running away to Lycia," said Lyn, grimly. "That's not what this journey is about. I will be back someday. I'll be stronger. I will break their axes beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people."

Sain was uncharacteristically serious when he said, "When the time comes, bring me with you."

"Sain…" Lyn looked moved to tears.

"Don't forget me either," said Kent.

"Kent…"

Kent and Sain both turned to stare at me, waiting.

What? Did they expect me to come back here in a few years and invent bandit-killing strategies?

My first instinct was to say no. However, Lyn had the blazing look in her eyes again, making me feel small and petty. Part of me wished I could be as bold and proud as her, even though I knew it wasn't and never would be in my nature. Still, it might be nice to try being noble every once in a while.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Bring me along too, I suppose."

"You too, Nora?" Lyn looked a little too thrilled at the idea of fighting more bandits with me. "I…you're…thank you."

And then, with perfect timing, a loud, raspy voice cut through our emotional scene. We turned to see a gray-haired bandit, holding the reins of a winged, white horse.

"Silly twit!" he shouted at a petite girl who stood, cowering, in front of him. "Pegasi can only be found in Ilia. They're rare beasts, worth more than you by far! We can sell it for a mountain of gold. Let it go?" He let out a bark of laughter.

"No," said the girl. "Please, don't…"

"Migal," said one of the other brigands. "We need to head out soon."

Dragging the pegasus away from its owner, the gray-haired Migal, who seemed to be the leader of the bandits, said, "C'mon! Let's get packing, boys!"

Kent maneuvered his horse next to Lyn. "Be on your guard, Lyndis. There seems to be some sort of commotion over there."

"That's…" Lyn squinted at the winged horse and its owner. "That's a pegasus. Could it be?" She took a step forward and then another. "Florina?" she called out. "Is that you, Florina?"

The girl with long, wavy, lilac-colored hair turned at the sound of Lyn's voice. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of us. There was a pause, and then with a soft cry, the girl rushed down the street towards us. Desperate to follow its owner, the pegasus wrenched its reins out of Migal's grasp and hurried after the young girl.

"Lyn!" Florina cried as she threw her arms around Lyn's neck. "Is that really you? I…I…" And then, to my horror, the girl burst into tears.

Oh, I thought, as I watched Florina and Lyn hug each other. So this was why Lyn was so ready to hug me when we first met, this was her experience with female friendship. I felt a wave of revulsion as I watched Florina weep openly in her friend's arms—as if I would ever act like that.

"Come now," said Lyn, patting Florina's back. "No crying."

I nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry." Florina stepped away from Lyn and wiped her eyes. Her pegasus nudged her shoulder comfortingly with its nose.

"You are acquaintances?" asked Kent.

Florina took one look at Kent and all the blood drained from her face.

"She's my friend," said Lyn. "This is Florina, a pegasus knight-in-training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men." Lyn turned back to her friend and asked, as gently as possible, "Tell me, what happened here?"

"Well, um…" Florina glanced nervously at Sain and Kent. She gulped. "When I heard that you had, uh, left Sacae, I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village, and I, um, thought to fly down to ask if they had news of you. But I didn't see these two brigands, and…well…"

"Did your pegasus land on them?" asked Kent.

Florina turned white. "Well, I…a little…"

"Aha!" cried one of the bandits, who had followed her down the street. "You heard her! She admits her fault! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!"

Lyn scowled at the brigand before turning to Florina and asking, "Did you apologize?"

"Oh, yes," said Florina, speaking only to Lyn. "I told them I was sorry many times over. They just wouldn't listen…" The tears started to well up in her eyes again.

"Don't cry," said Lyn, wrapping an arm around Florina's shoulders. "It's all right."

"Lyn…" wailed Florina.

"Listen." Lyn addressed the bandits. "She's obviously sorry. Can't we just let this pass? You don't appear to be injured or anything."

Migal sneered. "No chance. The girl goes with us—by force if need be!"

Kent and Sain drew their swords, ready to defend Lyn, Florina, and Florina's pegasus.

I sighed. Did they expect me to create a strategy to take on two bandits? I wasn't really necessary in this fight. Maybe I could visit one of the still intact houses and see if the cowering villagers had any food to share.

Migal took one look at Kent and Sain's swords and started backing away.

"Hey! C'mon out now, boys!" he called out. "The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!"

At Migal's command, bandits emerged from the ruined houses. There were nine of them in total—three swordsmen, two archers, and the rest brigands. I groaned. We were outnumbered. Again.

"We've got to fight back!" cried Lyn.

"Don't we always," I muttered. So much for my plans of looking for food.

"Lyn…" said Florina. "I…"

Eyes burning with passion, Lyn turned to Florina and said, "You're a pegasus knight of Ilia, aren't you? You can fight, I know you can."

Florina looked taken aback by Lyn's outburst, but then, she lifted her chin and said, "Yes!"

"Listen carefully," said Lyn. "We're facing bandits. They're underlings, but we can't take them too lightly. The layout around here might make it difficult to fight. The same holds true for our foe, too. If we use these walls just so, they may ensure our victory."

Easy for you to say, I thought as I examined the village. Florina's ability to fly would come in handy since she could cross the walls; however, the bandits had archers with them. One arrow to its wing and Florina's pegasus would be useless.

"Kent, Sain," I said. "You two take the front."

Florina caught sight of me for the first time. "Lyn, um, who is that?"

I scowled at her. I didn't appreciate being referred to as "that". She should learn not to insult me—I could always fly her into the range of an archer and claim it was an accident when she died.

"This is Nora," said Lyn. "She's an apprentice, but still, she's my tactician."

"Oh." Florina glanced at me. "Well, Nora…I'm pleased to meet you."

I nodded before turning my attention back to the battle at hand. There was an archer to the east who was too close for my liking.

"Kent," I said. "Can you take care of the archer? Sain, follow him."

The two knights spurred their horses forward, and before the archer could fire an arrow, Kent drove his lance through the bandit's chest. Blood spurted over the archer's clothes as his legs gave out beneath him and he crumpled to the ground. I winced and looked away.

Come on, I chided myself, even Florina could watch a man die without cringing.

"Should we check inside the houses?" asked Lyn, examining a thatch-roofed house beside us. "We should warn the villagers to stay clear of the streets."

"Sure," I said. "And while you're at it, can you see if they have any spare food?"

Lyn looked affronted. "Their village was raided by bandits, and you want to take their food?"

"I can't strategize on an empty stomach."

Lyn knocked on the front door of the house. There was a pause, and for a second, I wondered if the bandits had killed everyone inside. But then, a series of voices called out, "Leave us alone, you thugs!" and "Go away! We've no more gold for you!" I think someone might have cursed at Lyn, but the door muffled their voices, so I couldn't be certain.

"No, wait!" cried Lyn. "We're not bandits! We want to help the village! Please listen!"

There was a pause, and then, a male voice called out, "Everyone, stay in the house! I'll go take a look!" The door opened a crack and a young man with messy brown hair poked his head out. He looked Lyn up and down before saying, "Not bandits, huh? So, who are you?"

"My name's Lyn. My companions and I are just traveling through here." Lyn glanced around. "We're going to deal with the bandits, but we need you to go and warn the villagers to stay clear."

Failing to ask about food, Lyn turned away from the house and started walking away.

"Hey! Wait!" cried the young man, stepping outside and shutting the door behind him. "My name's Wil. I'm a traveler of sorts too. Listen, these villagers have been kind to me and I want to help them. Do you mind if I fight with you?"

Lyn beamed at him. "We need all the help we can get—welcome aboard, Wil!"

Wil followed Lyn into the street and she introduced him to me. Wil's eyes lit up with interest and he said, "So, you're the tactician? I am Wil, master marksman."

I glanced at his iron bow, and then at his face, which was glowing with anticipation. Great. Instead of food, Lyn had managed to bring back a kid overeager for a fight.

"Master marksmen don't brag about being master marksmen," I said. "I need you to take out the swordsman to the north."

"Can do," said Wil. He strung his bow and headed to the top of the street, where an enemy mercenary was visible over the stone wall. Aiming over the top of the wall, Wil fired an arrow at the bandit. It struck the swordsman's arm.

"What happened to being a master marksman?" I asked.

Wil turned red around the ears. "Well, I'm a master marksman-in-training."

"Uh-huh." I turned away from Wil. "Florina, can you fly over that wall and finish off the swordsman. Then, go knock on the door of the house to the northwest and warn them to keep clear of the streets. And ask if they have any food."

Avoiding eye contact, Florina nodded. Her pegasus spread its wings and took off. It soared over the wall before lunging down at the bandit. Florina's lance went through the bandit's chest and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for his last breath.

"What about me?" asked Lyn as Florina went to visit the house.

"Follow Kent and Sain."

Wil, Lyn, and I moved along the street to where Kent and Sain were waiting for the bandits to reach them.

"Everything taken care of to the west?" asked Kent.

"Of course," said Sain. "Our fair ladies would never leave an enemy untouched."

"Sain," I said, ignoring his words. "Draw your sword and wait in the gap between the walls. There's tall grass there, so you should have the advantage on the bandits."

"As you wish, o fair and married one," said Sain, urging his horse forward.

"Wil," I said. "Follow Sain and support him. Shoot any bandit who comes within range. The walls should protect you from any swords or axes." After Wil left to do as commanded, I turned to Lyn and Kent. "You two will wait behind Sain, when there's an opening, you'll charge past him and quickly kill the remaining bandits."

Lyn nodded grimly before she and Kent moved into position. I had barely a moment to recollect myself and evaluate the situation, when Florina returned, her pegasus landing sloppily on the uneven ground.

"The villagers were kind," said Florina. "They gave us two-thousand gold and, uh, said we should use the armory to the southeast."

I took the bag of gold from her and peered over the wall at the armory. "Well, they gave us money, so we should do what we can to support their economy."

"Uh…yes…" Florina glanced around. "Should I, uh, go fight?"

"The archer will kill you," I said. "Wait."

"Oh right…" Florina sat back on her pegasus. Suddenly her eyes widened and she cried, "Ah! What should I do? There's an archer over there!"

"What? Where?" Lyn overheard our conversation and started looking around for the enemy archer. Then, when she saw who Florina meant, Lyn laughed aloud. "Oh, that's Wil."

I stared at Florina. "What were you doing when Wil helped you kill that mercenary?"

"Huey was being fussy," said Florina, patting her pegasus' neck.

"Hello," said Wil. "You're one of Lyn's friends?"

Florina looked down. "Um…"

Wil frowned. "What is it? Are you unwell?"

"I'm sorry, Wil," said Lyn. "Her name is Florina. She's timid around men, and you…well, you've got a bow."

"Oh, I see!" Wil grinned over at Florina. "I apologize for frightening you, and I can understand your fear of bows."

Florina refused to meet Wil's eyes. "I, um, I'm sorry. Even looking at a bow…frightens me ever so much…"

"Of course," said Wil, waving away her words. "I understand. But you should really only fear enemy archers, not your own."

"Yes…" murmured Florina. "Of course…"

Wil turned his attention back to the approaching bandits, and I was left alone with Florina. I glanced at the girl, who looked like she was in agony, and sighed. "That was painful to watch."

Florina blushed bright red. "I'm…sorry…"

"I'm not stupid enough to send you in range of an arrow."

Her eyes widened and she turned to look at me directly. "Really?"

"Unless, of course, you do something to irritate me," I said thoughtfully. "It's never a good idea to annoy your tactician—speaking of which, did you remember to ask for food when you visited the house?"

Florina looked on the verge of fainting. "N-n-no…"

I didn't respond, since the bandits had reached Sain. Just as planned, Sain killed two brigands using the iron sword he'd gotten from Lyn. Then, Kent moved into the open area and, with some help from Wil, killed the last axe-wielder. Lyn followed Kent and managed to get a critical blow against the archer. With only two swordsmen left and Migal to the north, I had Wil fire on one of the swordsmen, and then Florina deal the final blow. The second swordsman managed to scratch Florina's left forearm, but Kent quickly stabbed the swordsman from behind.

"All right," I said, moving around the dead bodies to stand between Kent and Sain. "Just the leader left. Florina, use a vulnerary. Sain, go buy yourself a new iron lance." I handed him the bag of gold, which he took before riding over to the armory.

"Wil, Lyn," I said. "You two are going to deal with the leader."

We moved around the charred ruins of someone's home and found Migal protecting the bandits' belongings. His eyes widened at the sight of us, and he gripped his iron axe.

"Draw your swords," yelled Migal. "We're not listening to any of your stinking apologies!"

"'We'?" I repeated, faintly amused. "You're the only one left."

Migal's face was white, but he held his ground. Well, I had to give him credit for courage.

"Um, excuse me…" said Florina, barely audible.

"Huh? It's you." Migal barred his teeth. "So, you changed your mind about coming with us, eh?"

Florina stared at the back of her pegasus' head. "Well, no…but, um, this really is my fault…really. So, uh, can we…"

Migal looked as annoyed as I felt by Florina's stammering. "Come on, lass—out with it!"

"I'm sorry…" said Florina. "Can we, uh, can we just stop fighting now?"

"You've got to be kidding." Migal looked at me as if he expected me to have an explanation for Florina's sudden desire for peace. Then, he turned back to her and said, "After you've made me look the fool? No way! You're coming with me, I promise you that. Now, if you don't want to get hurt, give yourself up."

I snorted. That was a stupid statement to make, considering we had killed all his allies.

Wil let fly an arrow. It landed in Migal's left thigh, causing the bandit to fall to his knees.

Lyn stepped forward, holding the Mani Katti next to the bandit's throat. Her eyes flashed with rage as she said, "There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Begging for your life so soon, wench?" sneered Migal as if the sword to his throat didn't exist.

Lyn ignored him and asked, "Are you Taliver bandits?"

"Taliver? Those greedy monsters?" Migal spat on the dirt. "We're nothing like them. Those fiends will even kill women and children! We're from Ganelon, and we know a little something of honor. We don't harm women, for one thing." He laughed, a croaking, sickly sound. "After all, why kill what you can sell?"

Kent looked repulsed. "Killing or selling, which one is worse do you suppose?"

Lyn's nose wrinkled in disgust, but she only said, "If you're not Taliver, there's no reason for you to die here today, Migal. If you would like to tuck your tails and flee, do so now."

"You…you…" Migal's face was turning red from rage. "No more courtesies! You're going to learn to hold your tongue!"

Pushing the Mani Katti away from his throat, Migal leapt at Lyn, but she dodged his axe with ease and then killed him with two swift strokes of the Mani Katti.

"You'll live to regret this…" hissed Migal. "My brothers, the Ganelon bandits will not let this stand."

He died face down in the dirt, his blood pooling beneath him. I stared at the back of his head for a moment before turning around to face Kent and Sain, who had returned from the armory.

"No one dies quietly anymore," I muttered. "They all have to say something."

"At least that's taken care of," said Lyn.

"Lyn!" cried Florina, dismounting from her pegasus.

"Florina," said Lyn. "Why did you follow me into Bern? It's dangerous here."

I felt a wave of indignation for my homeland. Bern wasn't a dangerous country…unless you were me. I was amazed that no assassins had found me yet. Though, to be fair, we were taking the mountain roads, rather than passing through any cities or major towns. I tugged on the fabric of my traveling cloak and glanced around the village. For some reason, I imagined one of the villagers recognizing me. The sooner we left, the better.

"Milady," said Kent. "We should leave before any more of these Ganelon bandits turn up looking for their allies."

I nodded. All thoughts of food had vanished from my mind. I just wanted to get out of Bern as soon as possible.

"Can we leave the village like this?" asked Lyn, looking around at the ruins. "If more Ganelon bandits come, they might punish the villagers for the death of their allies."

"We don't know how many bandits are part of the Ganelon group," said Sain. "Staying here might very well be the death of us."

"It's all very well to help out when we can," said Kent. "But we cannot put ourselves in such danger."

"Yes," said Lyn. "We should be going." She glanced around at the debris of what had once been a companionable, mountain village. "What if the Ganelon bandits were too distracted by a different target to punish the villagers?"

Kent's eyes widened. "What are you thinking, milady?"

"No," I said bluntly.

"Nora," said Lyn. "We can handle ourselves. If the villagers blame the deaths on us, and direct the Ganelon bandits towards us, then perhaps the bandits will spare the villagers."

Sain's eyes widened. "So we'll have the villagers send the bandits after us."

"Lady Lyndis!" cried Kent. "It's not safe!"

I nodded. "I would like to sleep without the fear of the Ganelon bandits hanging over me."

"Then what was the point of saving these villagers if we're just going to leave them at the mercy of the Ganelon bandits?" Lyn's eyes were flaring up with passion and justice again. "We will take the burden on ourselves. We are strong. We will survive these Ganelon bandits—even if they chase us to the borders of Bern." She sheathed the Mani Katti and said, "Come. We must hurry and tell the villagers what to do before we depart. The more distance we put between us and this village, the safer we will be."

I wanted to protest, but Kent and Sain had already started packing their bags and preparing to depart. It looked like Lyn's order had won out. Grumbling to myself, I adjusted the straps of my rucksack and prepared to start our flight.

"W-wait." Florina tried to make her voice as loud as possible (which, is to say, still not very loud).

"You should return to Ilia as soon as possible," said Lyn. "I'm grateful you are concerned about me, Florina, but this road is dangerous."

"Y-yes," said Florina. "The Ganelon bandits…" She hesitated and then said, "Lyn, do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?"

With a puzzled expression on her face, Lyn nodded. "Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training. Is that what brought you here?"

"Uh-huh." Florina nodded. "I, uh, I wanted to talk to you before I set out to join my own band of mercenaries, but when I went to Sacae, I heard you had left with some, uh, strangers, and…"

"You were worried about me?" asked Lyn with a smile. "Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."

"Me?" squeaked Florina.

"Listen," said Lyn. "Most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men? I can't imagine you being at all comfortable around them."

I had to admit, Lyn had a fair point. Florina seemed like a decent pegasus knight, but all the skills in the world couldn't make up for a paralyzing fear of men.

"I know, I know," said Florina, staring at the ground. "It's just, um, I've always dreamt of being a pegasus knight. I imagined I would just, um, work it out. Somehow."

She's a ditz, I groaned inwardly. However, looking at the determined faces of Kent, Sain, and Lyn, I had an ominous feeling that our ragtag group was about to gain a pegasus knight. Great, just great.

"But after today," said Florina. "I'm not so sure I can do it. Maybe I should just give up…" And then she burst into tears. Again.

"Florina, don't cry!" said Lyn, pulling her friend into yet another hug.

"Yes!" cried Sain, unable to hold in his excitement any longer. "There's no reason to give up your dream!"

"Hm?" Lyn looked over at him.

"Lovely Florina!" cried Sain. "I have the most brilliant idea!"

"Sain," groaned Kent.

"You should come with us!" Sain gestured about wildly. "With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers—and freelance to boot!"

"Wait," said Wil. "Did you just include me?"

Completely ignoring the possibility that Wil might have other plans, Sain said, "Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate! Come now, Lady Lyndis' band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!"

I glared at the idiot knight. "If you're volunteering me as a trainer, I'm going to throw you in the path of a mage first chance I get."

Sain laughed as if I was joking.

"Sain," said Kent. "This is no light-hearted matter."

"Lady Lyndis?" Florina was looking around her with a confused expression on her face. "Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?"

Lyn patted her friend on the shoulder. "I can give you details later. We do need to leave this village as soon as possible. However, Sain is right. If you must join a band of mercenaries, then join ours. Will you come with us, Florina? The road will be dangerous. We will be pursued by bandits until the border. But if it will help you with your fear of men, then you should come with us."

Florina's face lit up with excitement. "Travel with you? Truly? I would be so happy to!"

"Fantastic!" cried Sain, leaping form his horse. "Beauteous Florina, I am Sain, a knight of Caelin—"

Kent hit Sain on the side of the head.

Florina shrieked and cowered behind Lyn. "P-p-please, don't get so close!"

Groaning, I ran a hand through my hair. What was worse for Florina: joining a group of all men or joining a group with Sain in it?

"Ah!" cried Sain, recovering all too quickly from the blow to his head. "Florina…so beautiful, yet so modest!"

"I beg your forgiveness, milady," said Kent, addressing Lyn. He shot an irritated glare in Sain's direction. "Calling us mercenaries…"

"No, I approve," said Lyn. "And besides, we can't leave Florina on her own. She requires special attention though, because of her fears. Can I count on you to help her, Kent?"

Kent straightened in his saddle. "Yes! You have but to ask."

"So," said Wil slowly. "Is it all right if I travel with you?"

"Well," I said. "According to Sain, you'll be forced to join whether you want to or not."

"Nora." Lyn's tone was warning, but she was smiling as she spoke. "Of course, you can come, Wil."

"Actually, I'm grateful," said Wil. "Truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I would be honored to count myself one of Lyndis's Legion!"

"'Lyndis's Legion'?" Lyn turned to me with a bemused expression on her face. "This is getting stranger with every day."

I sighed. "In what country does this count as a legion?"

Lyn laughed, completely forgetting about the Ganelon bandits for the moment, and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. "Thank you for everything, Nora! To think we've come this far!"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Now let go. We need to have a talk about the appropriate distance for friendship."


	5. In Which I Experience Jealousy

**Chapter Five: In Which I Experience Jealousy**

_**Lyn—Chapter 4: In Occupation's Shadow**_

Grudges are a terrible thing—especially if you're the target of said grudge.

Apparently, the Ganelon bandits didn't like it when their comrades were killed. Just as Lyn had planned, the enraged Ganelon bandits left the villagers alone and relentlessly pursued us westward. We managed to stay ahead for two days, hurrying along the mountain road and sleeping lightly for short periods of time, but on the third night, the bandits caught up with us.

We had taken refuge in an old fortress that I had deemed defendable. All four stone walls were still standing (which was more than some of the ruins that we'd come across), though the west wall had a crack in it. There were two doors, one to the south and one to the east. As we settled down in the inside chamber of the ruins for the night, I was imagining how I would set up protections if we were attacked in the night.

"Ah, this should suffice!" cried Wil, collapsing on one of our woolen blankets. "Tonight's bed!"

Sain scowled. "This old fortress? Is this the best we can do?"

My eyes narrowed. "Do you have a problem with my choice, Sain?"

"No, o fair and married one," said Sain quickly. "Your choice is as perfect as you are."

"I think that's actually an insult…" muttered Wil.

"This will be fine," said Lyn, inspecting the open doorways to the east and south. "I prefer a place where I can feel the wind."

Florina smiled shyly. "As long as I'm at Lyn's side, I'll be fine."

I suppressed a shudder at such a clingy friendship. Over the past three days, nothing had improved my opinion of Florina. From what I could tell, she was nothing more than a clumsy, frightened, irredeemable airhead who clung to Lyn far too much—and it didn't help that her pegasus kept trying to step on my feet.

Sain placed a hand on his chest and said, "For your protection, lovely ladies, your man-at-arms Sain will be right here by your side."

"Sain," said Kent, grimly. "Both you and I are to remain awake. We will alternate the watch."

"Alas," cried Sain, clutching a hand to his chest. "The duties of a Caelin knight are hard, but I shall fulfill them nonetheless. What is sleep when I can spend my hours protecting fair maidens?"

Before Kent or I could strangle Sain for his idiocy, a sweet, high-pitch voice said, "Ah, pardon, milady."

Lyn spun around, her ponytail swinging from side to side as she craned to see out the south door. "Who's there?"

"I…forgive my intrusion." A petite woman with long, brown hair pulled into a braid hobbled into the ruins. "My name's Natalie. I'm from a village not far from here…Ah! Ow…" Her left leg gave out and she stumbled forward, hands reaching for something to hold onto. Unfortunately, she grabbed hold of me. I staggered under her weight but managed, by some miracle, to remain standing.

"Are you all right?" Lyn asked. I assumed she wasn't talking to me.

"I'm sorry." Natalie released me and stepped backwards.

"Your leg," said Lyn slowly.

"Ah." Natalie glanced down at her left leg, which looked thin and frail. "It's fine. Don't worry. It's from a childhood sickness. I can't travel far on it, but other than that, it doesn't trouble me much."

Lyn frowned, her brow creased with worry, but she only asked, "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I'm looking for my husband," said Natalie. "I heard he was in this area. He has been trying to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village some weeks ago and hasn't returned. He's a kindhearted man, but from the rumors I've heard, I think he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried." Natalie pulled a piece of paper out of her satchel. "Here's a sketch of him. It's a poor likeness at best, but…his name is Dorcas. Do you know of him?"

I peered over Lyn's shoulder at the piece of paper that held a picture of a muscular, red-haired man. None of us recognized him, which was probably a good thing since most of the people we'd encountered on our journey were bandits who had ended up dead.

"I'm sorry," said Lyn, handing the paper back. "I don't believe I've seen or heard of him."

"I see…" Natalie looked withered with disappointment. "If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

"I'll tell him," said Lyn in an effort to cheer up the poor woman. "I promise."

Natalie smiled in relief. "Thank you, milady."

"Don't worry," said Wil. "Lyndis' Legion is always happy to help out someone in need."

"Don't use that idiotic name," I grumbled. "You're sinking to Sain's level."

"Lyndis' Legion?" repeated Natalie, a blank expression on her face.

"Do not take her words to heart, Miss Natalie," said Wil. "That's Nora, our tactician. She gets grouchy when she hasn't been fed properly."

"Lady Lyndis!" Kent came running to Lyn's side from the east door. "Outside the fortress! Bandits!"

"What did you say?" gasped Lyn.

"Persistent bunch, aren't they?" said Sain, heading to the inside chamber to grab his horse. "What do you think? Shall we go out and face them?"

"No," said Lyn. "Natalie cannot move well, meeting them head on would put her in danger. Let them come to us. We'll fight here, within these walls." She glanced at me. "Nora?"

"Of course," I said. "They outnumber us. It'll be much easier to guard the east and south doorways than to fight them on open ground."

Natalie looked from Lyn to me, her expression doubtful.

"Rest easy, Natalie," said Lyn. "No one will harm you." Then, Lyn turned to rest of the troop and cried, "Listen, everyone! Fight with caution!"

I moved to the doorways, checking the outside to see what we were up against: six brigands and a swordsman to the south and two brigands to the east. Carjiga, the Ganelon leader who had been pursuing us for two days, was standing to the southeast with his second-in-command archer at his side. I couldn't see the west side of the building, but I knew the wall was weak there. We would have to be wary of intrusions from that side.

When I returned, the others were ready for battle. Kent and Sain were on horseback, swords and lances at the ready. Florina had mounted her pegasus, Wil had his bow in hand, and Lyn had the Mani Katti strapped to her side. Natalie stood beside our group of mercenaries, looking small and frail in comparison.

"All right," I said. "Kent, Sain, and Wil will guard the south entrance. The enemy is mostly axe-wielders, so use your swords. Florina and Lyn, you two will guard the east entrance. Understand?"

They nodded and moved into position. I remained in the inside chamber with Natalie. She clutched her shaking hands to her chest and bit her bottom lip. She seemed to be on the verge of crying.

Great, just great. I never knew what to do with tears. Did she want me to comfort her? Tell her everything would turn out all right? I couldn't guarantee that. All I could guarantee was that there would be a lot of dead bodies inside and outside these ruins by the end of the fight.

"The bandits won't get through," I said, hoping it would be enough to calm her down. "I won't let them through."

Natalie swallowed back her tears. "Thank you."

As an afterthought, I added, "If they do get through, it means I die as well. And I'm not in the mood to die."

I moved to the doorway of the inside chamber and peered out at the battle. Kent and Sain were handling the bandits well, taking minimal injuries, and Wil's arrows were precise, killing the bandits that got within range.

"If you don't mind me saying," said Natalie softly. "You seem different from the others. Less…"

"Less righteous?" I suggested.

Natalie frowned. "That isn't the word I would use."

"It's all right," I said. "It's true." I couldn't see the east side of the building from here, which wasn't good. I needed to know what was going on.

"Then," said Natalie, "may I ask why you are travelling with Lady Lyndis?"

My reply was immediate. "She reminds me of someone." I saw Natalie's dissatisfied expression and added, "People like her make me think that maybe I can be a righteous person too."

The conversation was heading into territory that I didn't want to enter, so I stepped outside the chamber and moved towards the east doorway. Lyn and Florina had moved outside the fortress, so I had to stand in the doorway to see them. They had taken care of one brigand, the bandit's corpse lying facedown on the ground, and now they—along with a red-haired brigand—were fighting the second-in-command archer who had come up from the south, Florina making sure to stay out of the archer's range.

"Who's this?" I asked, gesturing the red-haired man who was, apparently, now on our side.

"Don't you recognize him?" asked Lyn. "It's Natalie's husband, Dorcas!"

I stared at him. Sure enough, the muscular build and bright, red hair were reminiscent of Natalie's hand-drawn picture. She did say her husband was in the area and involved in some dangerous business. Who knew that dangerous business was the Ganelon bandits who were pursuing us?

"Well," I said. "What a coincidence."

Something moved to my left and I saw a sword-wielding bandit appear from the tree line.

"Florina!" I cried, figuring she would be most effective against a mercenary. "Head north."

At my command, Florina flew to the bandit and attacked him with a quick lunge. With the head of Florina's lance drawing blood, the swordsman's counter did minimal damage to her and her pegasus. The second strike of Florina's lance killed him.

I had to admit that, even if she was a ditz, Florina wasn't a bad pegasus knight. She had just as much right to be a part of Lyndis' Legion (damn it, Wil, now I was calling us that) as I did.

A scowled worked its way on my face. I hated being wrong about people. It was much easier to think of Florina as an airhead.

Another swordsman appeared from the tree near Florina, but she dealt with him easily using her iron lance. I glanced to the south just in time to see Dorcas' hand-axe deal the final blow to the enemy archer.

"Lyn, Dorcas," I said. "Deal with the leader to the south. Dorcas, I'm going to go tell Natalie you're fighting with us."

He murmured his thanks as he and Lyn started to run towards Carjiga. I sprinted back towards the inner chamber of the fortress, preparing to tell Natalie the good news; however, I was stopped short when I saw an enemy archer appear around the far corner of the hallway.

Damn it, they had broken through the cracked west wall—they were inside the ruins!

The archer spotted me and swiftly strung his bow. I stepped back behind the corner, shielding myself from the archer's view.

"Kent, Sain, Wil!" I screamed. "Fall back!"

Sain heard me first. Following my line of sight, he spotted the archer, swordsman, and brigand who had come in through the west wall. With a shout to his comrades, he led the retreat back inside the fortress. Kent and Sain quickly drank their vulneraries as they positioned themselves between the enemy and the entrance to the inside chamber.

When I saw that Kent, Sain, and Wil were safe, I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the mud-brick wall. What would they have done if I hadn't come back in time? They'd been so focused on the enemies in front of them that they hadn't noticed the west wall break.

Sain, Kent, and Wil dealt with the the invading enemy easily, and not long after, they had chased the bandits back outside the fortress, I heard one of the bandits cry, "They're not human! Listen up, rogues! Retreat! Pull back!"

The sound of heavy footsteps came from outside and then a red-faced Lyn came running back into the fortress.

"The enemy's fled, Nora! We've won!" She was seconds away from pulling me into a hug before she thought better of it and settled for grinning at me instead.

Bruised and scratched, Kent and Sain returned to the fortress with a laughing Wil in tail.

"I'm questioning your skills," said Wil, examining Kent's swollen cheek.

"You'd be injured too if you were a knight," said Kent. "Probably more so than me."

"These bruises are trophies," said Sain. "They prove that we sacrificed our bodies to protect our poor, weak archer."

Florina and Huey flew in through the east doorway. They were injured, scratches and sword wounds covering both of them, but with the help of a vulnerary, they healed up quickly. Finally, the red-haired giant stumbled in through the south entrance.

Natalie raced forward, stumbling into her husband's arms. "Dorcas!"

"I'm so sorry," said Dorcas, burying his face in his wife's hair. "I shouldn't have joined them."

"I know you want to help me," said Natalie through her tears. "But not like that!"

I stared at them for a moment, unable to stop myself from thinking of my own husband back in Bern. I was a firm believer in personal space, but for him, I was always willing to make an exception. To be able to hold one another and apologize…it was something I wanted now more than ever. But my husband would never forgive me for abandoning him. I would never again be able to hold him like Natalie was holding Dorcas. Never again.

Shaking my head, I turned away from Dorcas and Natalie. Jealousy was an ugly thing, and I was above it.

"All's well that ends well," said Lyn, smiling at the reunited husband and wife.

Keeping an arm around Natalie, Dorcas said, "Our village is close. I'll take Natalie home and return tomorrow."

"Hm?" Lyn frowned. "Why can't we just say our farewells today?"

"Well, I…I spoke with…" Dorcas glanced in Sain's direction. "I've been invited to join your group."

I groaned. "Sain, you can't keep inviting people to join without consulting the rest of the troop."

"I support Sain's decision," said Wil quickly.

"M-me too…" mumbled Florina.

Lyn was still deliberating. "But we're going to Lycia."

Dorcas glanced down at Natalie before saying, "I have to go somewhere to earn money. And I don't want to work for bandits ever again. If you think I'll be of use, I'd like to fight for you. You helped my wife…I owe you."

Lyn hesitated.

"Please, Lyn," said Natalie. "We are both in agreement on this. Watch over my husband."

Natalie's soft-spoken voice was what won Lyn over in the end. She consented to Dorcas joining our group in the morning. Then, Natalie and Dorcas headed back to their village (to have one last night together before saying goodbye), leaving us alone in the ruins. I glared at Dorcas and Natalie's retreating backs, cursing them for being together, before I remembered that I was above jealousy.

Lyn breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on her woolen blanket. "Things have finally calmed down."

"Sain and I will continue taking turns keeping watch," said Kent. "Please rest easily, milady."

"Is that all right?" asked Lyn, looking at the two knights worriedly. "Are you sure? Sain?"

Sain, whose eyes had been fluttering closed, started at Lyn's question. "What? Er, yes! Of course!"

Lyn looked like she was about to protest, but in the end, she only said, "Let me warn you—if bandits sneak up on you, they'll cut you down without mercy. Do you understand that?"

"What, do you doubt my bravery?" cried Sain. "Am I not a knight? There's no need to worry! Right, Kent?"

"It's less your bravery and more your attention span that she doubts," I muttered.

To my surprise, Florina giggled a little at this comment. I stared at her, surprised, which caused her to curl up under her blanket and pretend to fall asleep.

"Rest assured," said the ever-reliable Kent. "If there's anything suspicious, we'll take care of it."

"Really?" Lyn smiled. "Well, good night then. See you tomorrow."

Kent nodded. "Let's go."

Sain pulled a face before following Kent outside. "Ha. No one ever trusts me."

"With good reason," I said, reaching for my own blanket and hoping to grab a little sleep before the dawn came.

* * *

I woke up before dawn with trembling hands and a sheen of sweat. The nightmare was still clinging to me, magic pulling me backwards as golden eyes watched me from the doorway of my bedroom. I shook my head, trying to clear the dream away. Being in Bern and seeing Dorcas and Natalie together had brought back the unwanted memories.

I closed my eyes and tried to rest some more, but sleep wouldn't take me. I couldn't wipe the nightmare from my mind.

Instead, I rose from my woolen blanket and quietly made my way out of the inner chamber. Kent and Sain had removed the bandits' corpses from the halls of the fortress, but there were still bloodstains on the stone floor. I leaned against one of the walls and stared out the south door at the dark sky.

Regret was a painful thing; I had just begun to realize that over the past month. It ate at my insides, gnawing and biting away at me until I was left feeling utterly alone even when surrounded by people. Maybe I should leave Lyn's troop. They would be better off without an unreliable tactician like me.

"Um, Nora?" a soft voice came from my left. I turned to see a lavender-haired girl staring at me through big, blue eyes. "D-did you have a n-nightmare?"

I stared Florina her for a moment. I hated showing my weaknesses to anyone—especially people who got on my nerves. Turning my head away from her, I said, "No."

"Oh. Uh." Florina hesitated. "You, uh, d-don't like me very much, do you?"

"No."

Florina winced.

Guilt tugged at my stomach. I had to give her credit for asking me outright. When I was growing up, the other children in Trunnel had never talked to me, they just whispered amongst themselves about the sad, lonely cartographer's girl who had been abandoned by her parents. It was refreshing, I realized, to be asked outright. Trying my best to find the right words, I said, "I don't understand you. And I hate having things I don't understand."

Florina blinked.

I realized I was failing at explaining myself and tried again. "Don't take it to heart. It's my issue, not yours."

I expected Florina to leave after that, realizing I was hopeless, but she remained next to me. Softly, she said, "You're, uh, very honest."

I almost laughed aloud. Me? Honest? If only.

"I'll try," continued Florina. "To help you understand."

My silent laughter faded, and I frowned at her. "What?"

"It makes Lyn uncomfortable when we fight." Florina was working hard to express her thoughts without stuttering. "And, um, I think you're a very capable tactician. And I think your confidence is amazing. So…so…"

I stared at her, unable to stop myself from being impressed. For someone who was easily frightened and could barely talk in front of men, she was doing an excellent job of expressing herself now. I tugged on the end of my ponytail and took a deep breath. "Sorry."

Florina frowned in confusion.

"Sorry," I said again. "I'll, um, I'll try harder too."

A small smile fluttered across Florina's face.

"Go back to bed," I said, folding my arms over my chest. "Sleep. It's good for you."

"You need your rest too," said Florina. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

As if I was going to get any sleep after that nightmare, I thought. But I didn't tell Florina any of that. Instead, I pointed to the inner chamber, and after a moment, she smiled, bid me goodnight, and headed back into the room. Only when she was gone did I breathe a sigh of relief—apologizing and talking about relationships always wore me thin.

"Two fair maidens talking about their friendship in the light of the moon—what a beauteous sight that was."

I didn't have to look to know that Sain had reentered the fortress through the south door. He grinned at me; his sandy hair looked brown in the darkness of the night.

"You were eavesdropping," I said.

"Me? Never?" cried Sain. "I just so happened to be struck by your beauty, and while I was in a trance, I overheard your conversation."

I snorted.

Sain leaned against the stone wall and said, "She impressed you, didn't she?"

Glaring up at him, I said, "You should stay an idiotic knight."

His grin widened. "Do my words upset you? Is it because they are true? Alas, not only am I good-looking, but I'm also intelligent. How do you ladies resist me?"

"Easily," I muttered.

"So cold!" Sain clutched a hand to his chest. "How did your husband manage to win your heart? Such a man—I must speak to him and learn from such a master."

I smiled but said nothing in response.

In silence, Sain and I watched as the orange sun rose over the horizon, ending the long night.


	6. In Which Sain Is (Almost) Intelligent

**Chapter Six: In Which Sain Is (Almost) Intelligent**

_**Lyn—Chapter 5: Beyond Borders**_

The border of Bern and Lycia couldn't have come sooner. I hadn't slept properly for the past few days because I kept picturing assassins bearing down on me in the night, slitting my throat while Lyn and the others were asleep. Each night, I lay on the ground with Wil's dagger in my right hand, listening for the sound of footsteps. When I'd escaped through the mountains a month ago, I'd intended to avoid Bern for the next couple of years—not to return a month later with a Lycian heiress.

"We're almost at the border," said Kent. "Once we reach the end of this forest, we will pass through the gap in the mountains and enter Lycia."

He walked on the dirt road beside his horse, holding the reins while Lyn rode on the mare's back, taking a rest. Lyn patted the horse's neck and said, "Once we cross, we'll be safe from the bandits, right?"

"We should be," said Wil, who was walking alongside Kent. "I doubt they'll risk pursuing us across the border."

Sain checked to make sure I was still comfortable in the saddle of his horse before turning to Kent and saying, "Lycia at last! It's been a long time since we've been home. Tomorrow, we'll dine on of Lycia's finest foods!" Sain winked at Wil. "The mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty. Ah, yes, food and love. No better way to restore a man's soul! This is going to be a fine evening."

Kent scowled at his fellow knight. "If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we'd best stay elsewhere. We're not here for sightseeing!"

"Oh, come now," cried Sain. "That's not fair."

I glared at Kent. The idea of "Lycia's finest foods" had stuck with me, and if Kent stopped us from staying at the inn, I would make sure he suffered. Maybe I would direct him into the path of a bandit's axe or maybe put him in range of a mage's thunder tome.

Lyn shook her head at me, knowing what I was thinking, and then said, "Kent, the inn will be fine. I think we're all looking forward to a proper meal."

Kent seemed disappointed that we were giving in to Sain's wishes, but he nodded and said, "As you say, milady."

"Oh, Lyndis!" said Sain, dramatically extending a hand towards Lyn. "You are truly an angel from on high."

Lyn shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. "It's nothing, Sain. Forget it."

Florina, whose pegasus was walking on the path behind us, said, "We'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep."

I had the feeling that comment was directed at me, since Florina had been aware of my nightmares. She'd spent the last few days offering me suspicious homemade medicines that were meant to help me sleep—apparently, her older sister used to make them for her all the time. I trusted Florina's roadside remedies about as much as I trusted Sain with a pretty girl.

"A nice bed would be welcome," said Lyn. "Lycia seems—" She stopped when she caught sight of movement down the forest road. There came a sharp cry of "Bug!" and through the thick cluster of pine trees, we could see the figures of armed men. Their colors and weapons marked them as Ganelon bandits.

Lyn scowled. "Those bandits are persistent, I'll give them that much." With resignation, Lyn hopped down from Kent's horse and adjusted the strap of the Mani Katti's sheath.

From the trees, emerged the scraggly leader of the bandits, who I took to be Bug, a toothy grin spreading across his face. "I've found them!"

"What? Not again," cried Wil. "They're still after us?"

"Don't think you can get away so easily," sneered Bug, gripping his iron axe. "If you leave Bern alive, everyone'll think the Ganelon Bandits have gone soft!"

"So?" Lyn drew the Mani Katti. "We care nothing for you or your reputation. We must get to Lycia—get in our path, and you'll pay!"

"Cheeky little thing, aren't you?" shouted Bug. He glanced at his fellow bandits, still concealed by the trees, and roared, "Let's get 'em, lads! And no holding back just 'cause there's women with 'em! Wipe 'em out!"

"Damn it," I grumbled as the bandits spread out across the landscape, making sure we couldn't cross the border. "I just want a nice bed and some good Lycian food."

Sleep and food were going to have to wait, however. I hopped off Sain's horse, stumbling a little on the ground, and then surveyed our surroundings. We were currently sheltered by a forest, which was to our advantage since the enemy wouldn't be able to see us as well, but in order to cross into Bern, we had to go around a lake and through a gap in the mountain range. The bandits would know this and therefore most likely positioned themselves in our path. However, from what I had seen through the trees, there were only six bandits besides Bug waiting for us in the pass: two axe-wielders, two swordsmen, and two archers. Nothing Lyn's Legion (damn that name) couldn't handle.

"All right," I said. "Kent, Sain, you are g—"

My commands were cut short by shrill screaming to the east. We turned to see a pink-haired cleric in long, white robes and a young, purple-haired mage with fire tomes running through the forest. Behind them, an enemy archer was visible through the pine trees, his bow drawn and poised to fire. The cleric screamed. "Erk! Save me!"

"Look, Nora!" Lyn grabbed my arm and pointed through the trees. "Someone's over there!"

"Must you be so loud, Serra," grumbled the mage. Despite his words, he grabbed the cleric by the arm and moved her behind him, out of the archer's range. The mage glowered at the enemy and cried, "You there! See if you can match me!"

The archer was happy to oblige. His arrow struck the mage in the shoulder. Blood dripped down the mage's arm, staining his blue jacket. Gritting his teeth in pain, the mage managed to recite the words of a fire spell. Flames leapt from the tome in the mage's hand towards the enemy archer. The fire wrapped around the archer's chest and arms, searing the skin and causing blisters to form. The archer yelped and scrambled away from the flames.

"A mage…" I murmured before turning to Lyn and asking, "Can we recruit him?"

Lyn blinked. "This is the first time I've seen you interested in recruiting someone."

"Of course I'd want to recruit a mage," I said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Did you not see his fire spell? Do you realize how much destructive power a mage has?" I paused and then added, "And a cleric would be helpful too. We wouldn't need to buy so many vulneraries."

Lyn smiled. "Why don't you go talk to them?"

I scowled at her. We both knew I wasn't going to initiate a conversation with strangers.

Silently laughing at me, Lyn stepped off the dirt road and made her way through the forest to where the cleric and mage were using the branches of the pine trees as shelter from the enemy's arrows.

"Florina," I said. "Finish off the archer."

On my orders, Florina flew over the treetops and came down on the bandit. The archer only saw her at the last second, unable to react to her sharp lance. I had Kent and Wil follow Florina to provide support, while Sain and Dorcas headed north to fight the axe-wielder hidden in the foothills of the mountain. Satisfied that all my orders had been given, I turned my attention to Lyn and the two travelers.

"Um, excuse me…hello?" said Lyn as she drew near to the mage and cleric.

"Hm?" The cleric, who looked to be about sixteen or so, her hair pulled up into pigtails, turned to face Lyn.

"Why are you fighting these bandits?" asked Lyn.

The mage scowled. "It just happened."

Oh good, the mage wasn't an idiot who needlessly volunteered information. I really hoped Lyn successfully recruited him.

"That's not true!" The cleric rudely pointed her right index finger at Lyn and said, "You're the reason we're in this terrible situation—those ruffians thought that we were traveling with you! Now, how are you going to get us out of this mess?"

I cringed. The mage may be tolerable, but his companion was loud-mouthed and annoying. More loud-mouthed and annoying than Sain. Which was saying something. Was there any way that we could recruit the mage but abandon the cleric? Of course not. We were Lyndis' Legion; we didn't leave anyone behind.

I immediately regretted my desire to abandon the cleric. Lyn and my husband would both be disappointed in me if they ever heard my thoughts. It's not that I wanted to be cutthroat—it was just that I instinctively wanted to avoid noisy people. Looking over the pink-haired cleric with her heal staff, I resolved to be more welcoming towards new members of the troop. Though, to be honest, I figured my resolve wouldn't last long.

"Serra," the mage was saying, "if you'd not been so meddlesome, this all could have been avoided." He turned to Lyn with a little bow. "My apologies. Please trouble yourself with us no more."

Lyn glanced over at me questioningly. I gave the barest nodded of encouragement, so she turned back to the mage and said, "But if you're going to have to fight anyway, shouldn't we work together? It will end things faster, right?"

"That's true," said Serra. "All right, we'll cooperate with you. Erk—go and help these ladies."

"But I…I…" Erk turned red with frustration. "Fine."

Lyn beamed at them. "Very good. My name's Lyn."

"We'd be glad to join arms with you," said the cleric. "My name is Serra. This is my escort, Erk." She waved a hand in the direction of the mage. "Be a good boy, and go fight now, Erk."

As Serra practically dragged Lyn through the trees towards the rest our troop, Erk stood rooted to the spot, watching her back with an incredulous look on his face. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and followed her. A part of me wanted to pat him on the shoulder and tell him I understood his pain; however, I had a battle to direct and that didn't leave much time for sympathy.

"Nora," said Lyn, as she and Serra approached. "I've recruited them."

"Hello!" cried Serra, rushing to me. "You're Nora, right? I'm Serra. Nice to meet you. And this contrary mage here…" She waved to the young man beside her. "His name is Erk. I'm his employer. 'Master,' I suppose you could say."

"Serra," said Erk, one hand on the arrow wound in his shoulder.

"Yes, yes," said Serra. "I'll heal you free of charge." She glanced over at Lyn and me and offered us a wide smile. "I know, I know. I'm generous to a fault." She noticed the expression on my face and cried, "Why are you looking at me like that? Praise my generosity!"

I stared at her. She grinned at me. I sighed.

"Why are you telling me that?" I asked. "Go heal him then."

Serra pouted at my response, but she used her clerical staff to heal Erk's arrow wound. She muttered the incantation for the spell under her breath, and the crystal at the top of her staff glowed with blue light. The torn skin on Erk's shoulder stitched itself shut until only the bloodstains and a white scar remained.

"What tomes do you have?" I asked Erk when the healing was done. "Thunder? Elfire?"

Erk frowned. "Just fire."

I wilted a little with disappointment, but said, "You're going to head northeast to where Kent and Florina are. Two bandits are approaching, an axe-wielder and a swordsman. Will and Florina can take care of the swordsman, but I need you and Kent to deal with the axe-wielder."

Erk nodded and did as commanded. I think he was just relieved to leave Serra's side.

"What about me?" she asked.

"No one's injured right now," I said. "So unless you can use light magic, I have no need for you at the moment."

"What are you talking about?" asked Serra. "People always have need of me. Oh! I get it! You just want to keep my beautiful self by your side, so you're not sending me out to heal anyone right now." She winked.

"On second thought," I said, "why don't you follow Erk? That way, if they're injured, you'll already be there to heal them."

"Good thinking, Nora," said Serra before making her way through the forest.

"She's a handful," said Lyn as we followed the rest of the group towards the pass.

"But she's useful," I said. "That's the important part."

Lyn smiled at me before saying, "There's a house up ahead, right before the pass. Should we knock on the door?"

"Why?" I groaned. "They're not going to tell me anything I don't already know."

Lyn rolled her eyes. "I'm going to knock."

"Fine."

We regrouped with the others right before the pass. Sain and Dorcas had killed the bandit to the north and the others had taken care of the swordsman and the axe-wielder. I peered through the pass. There was an enemy archer lurking near the armory.

"Wil," I said. "You can lure him out, right?"

"Sure," said Wil, advancing into the archer's line of sight.

The archer raced forward and fired a shot. The arrow struck Wil's shoulder, but he still managed to send a response arrow, which hit the enemy in the stomach.

"Erk, finish him off," I said.

Erk advanced on the archer and murmured a fire spell. Flames engulfed the enemy and his corpse fell to the ground, crumpled and charred.

"Excellent," I said. "We should stop by the armory and see what they have."

"Wait, I'm going to knock on the door," said Lyn, starting towards the house on the edge of the forest.

I pulled a face. "They never say anything interesting."

Ignoring me, Lyn knocked on the door of the little house. After a moment, an old, bald man appeared in the entranceway. Lyn introduced herself and asked about the pass. The man didn't have anything interesting to say about the passage into Bern; however, when he caught sight of Erk, he did add, "Mages are notoriously susceptible to physical attacks. Just because they're versatile doesn't mean you should put them in harm's way. It does you no good if they are lost because of your carelessness."

Lyn thanked the old man before turning back to me, her face red with embarrassment.

"Ah yes," I said. "That was especially helpful. You never know, the next house we visit might tell us about the weapons triangle. Just in case we didn't know that swords are strong against axes, axes against lances, and lances against swords."

"You've made your point," said Lyn. "Come on, we should head into Bern."

Kent and Sain led the way through the mountain pass. I spotted a swordsman on the other side and sent Florina ahead to deal with him. The armory, it turned out, sold javelins—which, in my opinion, was something no knight should be without. It cost most of our money, but we bought javelins for Kent, Sain, and Florina.

We passed by two more houses, but no one dared argue with my insistence that no useful information ever came from the residents.

We headed south to where the leader of the bandits waited. Bug was the only one left on Bern's side of the pass. He knew he was alone, but he bravely (and stupidly) stood his ground as we approached him. Wil fired two shots before Lyn finished Bug off with the Mani Katti.

Through the pain, Bug cursed us, "Scum… You're all scum…"

I stared down at him body. He was a bandit. He deserved to die. If we hadn't killed him, he would've killed us. All for his pride as a Ganelon bandit. I scoffed. What an idiot.

"Nicely done, Nora," said Lyn, wiping down the Mani Katti. "That should just about do it."

"What a surprise," said Serra. "You're very strong, Lyn."

Lyn smiled appreciatively. "Your staff is a wondrous thing. Healing powers amaze me."

Serra smirked. "Only those in the service of good can wield them."

"You helped us tremendously," said Lyn, nodding to both Serra and Erk. Then, she turned to her troop and said, "Well, it's time for us to go."

"Take care," said Serra, waving.

"Fare you well," said Lyn. "You too, Erk."

"Farewell." Erk looked pained at the prospect of being left alone with Serra again.

I, on the other hand, was pained at the prospect of losing my mage. I watched Erk and Serra walk way and was filled with regret. Serra would've saved us so much money on vulneraries and Erk's magic was irreplaceable. How could we just let them go?

"Hey, Sain," I said, calling the green knight over.

"Yes, o fair and married one," said Sain, pulled his horse to a stop beside me.

"What happened to your annoying habit of recruiting people without permission?" I asked.

It took Sain barely a moment to understand what I was implying. A wide grin spread across his face. "I was just about to pursue them."

"Good," I said.

I watched as Sain chased after Serra, crying, "What have we here? Another wildflower? Perhaps a butterfly? What an absolutely delectable creature!"

Serra blushed and giggled. "Oh my! Are you one of Lyn's companions?"

"Please, call me Sain."

"I'm Serra," she said. "I serve House Ostia."

"Serra…" Sain sighed dreamily. "What a lyrical name. I am in service to Castle Caelin."

"Oh!" Serra's eyes widened. "So is Lyn a member of the marquess's family?"

Sain nodded solemnly. "She is the granddaughter of our lord, the marquess."

Serra curled a strand of pink hair around her right index finger. "Such an important person..."

"Serra," groaned Erk, "what deviousness are you contemplating now?"

Giggling delightedly, Serra said, "Having a person of power in your debt is never a bad thing!"

"You can't be serious," muttered Erk.

"Oh, Sain!" cried Serra, turning her attention back to the green knight. "Do you think we could join the lady Lyndis's company? She seems like such a nice person, and I would ever so much like to help her."

"Of course!" cried Sain, throwing a wink in my direction. "We couldn't be happier! Why, we were only just saying how we need some more fighting power."

Serra frowned. "Are you being hunted or something?"

Sain bowed his head. "Yes, it's an inheritance dispute. Assassins everywhere."

"Oh my! In that case, my healing staff and Erk's magic should come in handy."

Erk frowned. "Well, er, it sounds…dangerous."

Before Erk could protest, Sain said, "Your staff and magic would be extremely helpful! Please wait here! I will go and speak with Lady Lyndis on your behalf." He dug his heels into the sides of his horse and set off towards our troop.

"Nicely done," I said, as Sain passed me.

"Anything for you, o fair and married one," said Sain, grinning.

I sighed. "And here I thought you were intelligent for a second. My mistake."


	7. In Which Thievery Is Encouraged

**Chapter Seven: In Which Thievery Is Encouraged**

_**Lyn—Chapter 6: Blood of Pride**_

Our passage through Bern into Lycia was surprisingly uneventful for all the drama my imagination built it up to be. It took us less than a day to walk across the northernmost strip of Bernese land into the territory of Araphen. I breathed a sigh of relief as we crossed the border as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. After another day of travel, we reached Araphen's central city, the stone buildings as high as two or three stories, something unheard of in Sacae.

"What city is this?" asked Lyn, whose knowledge of Lycian geography was still lacking

"This?" said Said. "This is Araphen. After Ostia, it's the second-biggest city in Lycia."

"The second biggest, hm?" Lyn peered down the bustling streets, her eyes wide with curiosity. "It does seem awfully busy." She glanced left then right before asking, "By the way, where's Kent?"

The red knight had separated from us as soon as we entered the city limits, making some excuse about "things to do". Wil had suspected that Kent was visiting a ladylove, but Sain had laughed aloud at the idea.

"He said he was going ahead to the castle," said Sain. "Ah, here he comes now."

We all turned to see Kent on horseback making his way through the crowded city streets.

"Milady Lyndis!" Kent dismounted when he reached our group. "Let us proceed to the castle. They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess has agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."

"He's going to help us?" asked Lyn.

"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a sturdy friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess of our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength."

Sain grinned. "Looks like we've got a smooth road ahead!"

"Oh, don't say that," said Wil. "You'll curse us."

"If we could pick up some soldiers," said Kent, ignoring Wil's foreboding statement, "the road to Caelin would be that much safer. I'm truly sorry for hardships you've suffered so far, milday."

"Don't be silly," said Lyn. "You're so capable, Kent."

"Kent?" exclaimed Sain.

"Hm?" Lyn blinked. "Oh, and so are you, Sain."

"Of course, I am," said Sain, folding his arms over his chest.

"Come," said Kent, hopping back on his horse. "The castle awaits."

We moved further into the city, closer to the large, stone castle located in the center. However, the crowds had become denser and louder around the castle. We heard the frantic cries of the citizens, and one man screamed, "This is terrible! The castle is burning!"

"What did you say?" asked Sain, staring down at the white-faced man. "What's happening?"

"Smoke! From the castle!" The man was distracted by someone to his left. He turned and, in a shrill voice, cried, "Hey! What are those men doing?"

Our group turned just in time to see a swordsman running towards Lyn.

"Who are you?" cried Lyn.

"You!" The swordsman pointed at Lyn. "You're Lyndis, aren't you?"

Lyn's eyes widened. "What are you—?"

"No questions!" shouted the swordsman. "Prepare yourself!"

He rushed at Lyn, but before any of us could move to defend her, an arrow flew through the air and buried its head in the swordsman's back. Mouth still open, the would-be assassin dropped his sword on the cobblestone road and collapsed at Lyn's feet.

Following the arrow's path back to its owner, we saw a Sacaean nomad astride a horse watching us carefully. His dark-green hair was tied back with a headscarf and the wood of his bow was carved with an artful pattern that matched the colorful design on his clothes.

"Who are…" Lyn started to say, but she was interrupted by Kent, who had leapt off his horse and rushed to her side.

"Milady Lyndis!" cried Kent. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," said Lyn, not taking her eyes off the nomad. "This man saved me."

Kent turned to the nomad and, after scanning the Sacaean man up and down, asked, "May I know your name?"

The nomad didn't respond, turning his horse away and starting back the way he came. I was in awe of the lengths he would go to in order to avoid speaking.

"Wait!" cried Lyn. "Why did you help me?"

Stopping his horse, the nomad said, "I thought a Sacaean plainswoman was being attacked. I was mistaken."

"No, you were right," said Lyn. "I'm from Sacae. I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftain."

Surprise flitted across the nomad's face. "The Lorca? There were survivors?"

Lyn grimaced. "Yes."

"You should leave at once," said the nomad. "A blaze has started in the castle, and it's spreading. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved."

"You're from the castle?" asked Lyn. "What's happening? How severe is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"

"The castle is under attack, and the marquess has been accosted. The man who attacked you is probably one of the marauders responsible. As a captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess."

"I see." Lyn glanced over at me, and I fought the urge to groan. Rescuing people was tradition in Lyndis' Legion. Lyn said, "All right then, we'll help you."

"Milady?" asked Kent.

The nomad frowned. "Why?"

"These brigands are after me," said Lyn confidently. "If they're attacking the castle, it's because of me. So I must help if I can."

"We don't know that it's because of you for sure," I said.

"What are the odds, Nora, that the castle would burn the same day I arrive in Araphen?"

I considered this. "Fair point. Still, it could just be coincidence."

The nomad watched this exchange curiously before saying, "It's sounds like you're involved somehow. Let's go."

"You'll accept our help?" asked Lyn eagerly.

"I am Rath of the Kutolah," he said. "Our tribes may be different, but I will not abandon a woman of Sacae."

"Thank you, Rath," said Lyn. "A thousand blessings upon you!"

"And a thousand curses upon our enemy." A small smile appeared on Rath's face before it dissolved back into his usual blank expression.

"Come," said Lyn. Rath followed as she led him over to me. "This is my tactician, Nora."

I surveyed Rath carefully and then said, "Is there a way to get into the castle from this side or do we have to go around?"

Rath frowned, "Perhaps the secret passage way…"

"Secret passage way?" asked Lyn.

"An underground tunnel leading to the throne room," explained Rath. "There are triggers in the barracks that will open the tunnel."

Lyn nodded eagerly. "Head through the passage to the throne room and rescue the marquess. Once that's done, can you drive the enemy from the castle?"

"If we can release those triggers, my men and I can handle the rest." Rather glanced over his shoulder at the high, stone walls of the castle. "There are three triggers, though. All three need to be released, or the entrance won't open."

"But the doors to the barracks are locked," said Lyn, looking around as if the answer might magically appear.

"The enemy's within," said Rath. "If we don't get inside and finish them, we're trapped."

Lyn turned to me, her expression grim, and said, "So opening the doors is our first objective."

"That'd be ideal," I said. "But how are we going to open the doors?"

"We could visit some houses," suggested Lyn. Her voice was soft and cautious, as if she was approaching a wild animal. "They might know how to break into the barracks."

I suppressed a groan. I really doubted the citizenry knew any more than we did about getting into the barracks. However, I didn't have any better ideas. After scanning the area, I said, "Okay, there are five occupied houses at the moment. Lyn, Rath, you two take care of the houses to the north. Florina and Erk will check out the house to the south with Dorcas and Serra enter the houses in the middle." I looked around, scanning the surroundings. There were villagers mulling about, but amongst them, there were enemies as well. "Erk and Florina will have to take care of the swordsman to the south before entering the house, while Wil, Kent, and Sain can take of the swordsman and soldier to the southeast. When we're done, we'll meet again outside the barracks."

Lyn hurried over to the others to relay my instructions, leaving me alone with Rath.

I stared up at the mounted archer and he stared down at me. Neither one of us spoke. Good. He and I were going to get along great.

The other members of the troop set off to investigate the different houses, while Lyn, Rath and I headed to the two open-doored houses in the north. Since both Rath and I hated talking to strangers, Lyn was the one who knocked on the door of the first house. A freckle-faced girl answered. Lyn told her that we were trying to rescue the marquess and asked if she knew a way to get into the barracks.

The girl shook her head, but catching sight of Lyn's patterned tunic, she said, "The marquess of Araphen loathes the people of Sacae. Nomads are barred entrance to the city on the marquess' orders. He says he'll not allow the nomads' stench to infect his city. I heard that long ago the marquess was in love with Marquess Caelin's daughter, but she spurned him in favor of a nomadic prince." She glanced at Lyn's attire once again and quickly added, "Even so, I think the marquess goes too far in his treatment of the plainsmen."

"Thank you for your words," said Lyn, stepping away from the house.

"I hope you succeed in saving the marquess," said the girl before closing the front door.

"Marquess Araphen sounds awful," muttered Lyn as she rejoined Rath and me in the streets.

"Yes, well, he said he'd give us soldiers to protect us on our journey to Caelin," I reasoned. "As long as he upholds his promise, I don't care how awful he is."

Rath scowled.

"Don't look at me like that," I said. "You're the nomad who serves this supposed Sacaean-hater."

I glared up at Rath and he glared down at me. Neither one of us spoke. I was having to revise my opinion of the nomad. He maybe be quiet, but he was too proud for his own good.

"I'll knock on the next house," said Lyn, moving along the street to a house with a bright red roof.

She knocked on the door and a chestnut-haired man who looked to be in his twenties answered. He took one look at Lyn and a grin spread across his face. "Hey, you!"

Lyn looked startled by the blunt address. "Who are you?"

"I'm Matthew, a specialist in acquisitions of all kinds," he said.

I snorted. In translation, he was a thief. Actually, that was a good thing. If we recruited him for "Lyn's Legion" (I still hated that name), then he could steal all sorts of valuables from our enemies and I could sell them for a profit. Perhaps it's a dishonest way of doing things, but weapons didn't come cheap. Not all of us could get spirit-infused swords free when we visited sacred temples.

"Would you like to buy my services?" asked Matthew.

I willed Lyn to agree, but to my horror, she turned up her nose and said, "I've no need for a thief."

_Damn it, Lyn_, I thought at her back. _Now's not the time for your Sacaean pride! We need him!_

"Really?" Matthew's eyebrows shot up. "And how do you plan on opening the barrack doors?"

"What?" asked Lyn. "How'd you know about—?"

"Bullseye!"

Lyn glared.

"Don't be mad at me." Matthew grinned. "Hire me. For you, I'll even lower my normal rate."

"I do need those doors opened," said Lyn slowly. "Okay, you're hired. But why did you choose to ally yourself with me?"

"Hm?" Matthew pulled his red travelling cloak on over his Lycian-style clothes. "I was watching the battle from up above. Your group looked like a lot more fun than the dead guy. Pretty simple, really."

"You're so odd," said Lyn, shaking her head.

"Actually, Lyn," I said as Lyn and Matthew came to join Rath and me in the street, "it's called pragmatism."

Matthew laughed. "Yes, you should try it some time, milday. Fate tends to favor the pragmatic."

"This is my tactician," said Lyn, gesturing to me. "Nora."

"Right," I said. "You're going to pick the locks on the barracks for us, right? The first door is over to our right—we need you to open it."

For a split second, Matthew looked taken aback. Then, he laughed and started down the road to the nearest castle door. "It's time to get to work!"

"Rath," I said, turning to the nomad. "You're going to have to release the trigger."

It took Matthew no time at all to unlock the door. We peered inside the barrack, but it was empty of enemy soldiers. Rath headed inside and found a sort of crank embedded in the wall. A few quick turns were enough to release the trigger and open a door in the castle wall.

We headed over to the opening to find a hallway with one room to the far left, guarded by a single soldier, and a chest in the corner to the right.

"Hey!" cried Matthew. "Unless my eyes deceive me, that's a chest! Nora…since we came all this way, what say we help ourselves? Huh?"

He looked at me expectantly, but he must have mistaken the joy on my face for refusal, because he said, "What do you mean, by that? Don't be such a bore. If you want to win, you've got to use every means at your disposal. That's an ironclad rule! Yeah, I know stealing's bad. I'm well aware of that. We're saving the marquess, right? Let's just call this an advance on our reward, okay?"

"I'm not disagreeing," I said. "Steal away. Except I get to decide what to do with the loot. Managing this troop's finances is no easy matter."

Stifling his laughter, Matthew slipped inside the castle and opened the chest. He pulled out a white robe and held it up for me to see.

I recognized the robe; it was something I read about when I lived in Trunnel. Back when the continent was young, before it even had the name Elibe, a man named Erebus learned how to place his magic inside objects. Eighty years ago, a group of shamans from Lycia discovered how Erebus performed such wonders and started to produce magic-infused items such as energy rings, talismans, body rings, dracoshields, speedwings, goddess icons, and angelic robes. The secrets of the Guild of Erebus had been carefully guarded for decades and the items they made were few and therefore extremely valuable.

"Hey! This is an angelic robe," said Matthew, examining the glimmering, white material. "This is good for those of us on the…less robust side. Like me, for example." He gave me a pointed look.

"You're not using it," I said. "I'm selling it so we can afford to buy new weapons."

"This is a robe created by the legendary Guild of Erebus, blessed by the Church of St. Elimine, given only to the saint's most loyals followers—and you want to sell it to highest bidder?"

"Yes."

"I like the way your mind works." Matthew stored the robe in his rucksack. "We're going to get along fantastically."

Lyn suppressed a sigh. "You two…"

"If it bothers you so much," I said with a wicked grin. "Turn around and look the other way."

Lyn decided the best course of action was to ignore my words and said, "We need to meet up with the others."

I glanced around the interior of the castle. "Rath, Matthew, take care of the soldier over there and then see what's in the far room. Lyn and I will be back after we find the second trigger."

Leaving Rath and Matthew to their work, Lyn and I returned to the street where we'd left behind the rest of the troop. Serra was rambling about how jealous the other clerics of St. Elimine were of her beauty while Florina listened and stammered her sympathies. Sain and Kent were reminiscing about their teacher, Sir Wallace, and Wil was trying to start up a conversation with Dorcas and Erk (a task he was failing miserably at).

"Did you find out anything useful?" I asked.

Dorcas shook his head. "The old man told me that the more you use a weapon, the more skilled you become in it. Practice makes perfect, after all."

I sighed. "That's not even advice, that's just common sense."

"The man…in the southernmost house…" Florin blushed when she realized everyone was looking at her. "He talked about Captain Rath…and how the marquess hates nomads, so it makes sense that he would have a Sacaean as the captain of the guard."

"The villager thought that the marquess likes having control over a Sacaean," added Erk, who had visited the house with Florina.

"The more I hear, the less I like this marquess of Araphen," said Lyn, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"So nothing useful from the villagers?" I asked.

"I, your talent and beautiful cleric, have something useful." Serra, her pink braids swinging as she moved, held up a small key. "The man said he couldn't do business with all these soldiers about so he wanted us to get rid of them. Moved by my stunning beauty and wit, the villager gave me a key to the south barracks."

"So visiting the locals has proven useful after all," said Lyn, smirking at me.

I folded my arms over my chest. "I won't change my mind."

"But we only have one key," said Kent. "Rath told us that there were three triggers to open the secret passage way."

"We found a thief," I said. "He picked the lock on the north barrack, and Rath turned the trigger to open the entrance way. Sain, take Serra's key and head to the south barrack. Take Florina and Wil with you in case there are any enemies. After you pull the trigger, meet up with the rest of us in the castle."

"As you wish, my lovely," said Sain. He took the little key from Serra and, with Wil and Florina in tow, disappeared down the busy streets. The rest of the troop followed Lyn and me into the castle. Rath and Matthew were waiting for us in the main hallway, the latter holding a sword that looked far too big for him to use.

"What's that?" I asked.

"An armorslayer," said Matthew. "A sword specifically made to slice through heavy armor."

"Interesting…how much do you think it'll sell for?"

"Rather than sell it, I could use that sword to fight armored knights," suggested Lyn.

Matthew and I both stared at her.

"Lady Lyndis is the leader of our troop," said Kent. "She has the final decision on whether to sell armorslayer or not."

Matthew and I continued to stare at Lyn.

She released a long, agonized sigh. "Other members of our troop can fight the armored knights. If Nora recommends that we sell the armorslayer, I think it's for the best."

I turned to Matthew. "So how much, do you think?"

"A thousand gold pieces is the market price," he said. "But I'm sure I could convince the buyer to pay a couple hundred more."

"That's cruel!" cried Lyn.

Before Matthew and I could explain why the troop's finances should be left to us, there was harsh, grating noise, the sound of stone sliding on stone. We turned to see the north side of the hallway open to reveal two surprised enemies—an archer and an armored knight. Behind them, I could see the trigger embedded in the wall.

"That armorslayer would be useful right now," muttered Lyn.

"Not necessary," I said. "Lyn, Matthew, you two take care of the archer. Kent, Erk, take out the armored knight."

It worked as planned. Lyn and Matthew were both quick, so the archer had no time to dodge their swords. In my experience, armored knights were vulnerable to magic attacks, so after two quick fire spells from Erk and a blow from Kent's lance, the armored knight was dead and the trigger was ours. Rath had the honor of releasing it.

There was a harsh grinding sound, and the secret passage way, leading to the throne room, opened. The rest of the rescue mission was out of my hands, since Rath's men took over, storming the castle and taking out the enemy troops. Lyndis' Legion hung to the back of the throne room, nervously waiting for the fighting to finish and our meeting with the marquess to be arranged. Eventually, after the enemies had been removed from the castle, a middle-aged nobleman, his blond hair slicked back to reveal a large, pale forehead, entered the throne room. I assumed he was the marquess of Araphen, for who else could move through the castle with such ease and in such fine clothes.

"Ah, it's Rath!" he cried, catching sight of the nomad standing beside me. "You've done well. What a performance!"

Rath shifted from side to side, clearly uncomfortable. "Sir, if you have praise, it should be given to this group." He gestured to Lyn.

The marquess frowned as he took in Lyn's patterned tunic. "Hm? Who are you?"

Lyn raised her head. "My name is Lyndis. I'm pleased you're well."

Frown lines appeared on the marquess' face. "Oh, it's you. You're Marquess Caelin's… Leave us, Rath. I would speak with this girl."

Rath looked frustrated, but he obeyed Marquess Araphen's order and slipped out of the room.

"Now, Lady Lyndis." The marquess' voice was even, but his tone was dripping with disdain. "Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?"

"I believe it to be the work of my granduncle, Lundgren," said Lyn, who either didn't notice the marquess' dislike or was choosing to ignore it.

"That's exactly right," said Marquess Araphen, "which means my castle has been damaged in your family's petty inheritance dispute."

Lyn winced. "M-my apologies…"

The marquess sneered. "When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance... I find I've changed my mind. I withdraw my offer."

"Marquess Araphen!" cried Kent, stepping forward. "You gave me your word, my lord!"

The marquess smirked. "Your name is Kent, is it not? You failed to inform me of one most vital detail."

Kent looked as if he had just been slapped across the face. "What? What do you mean?"

"This girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, but…" Marquess Araphen pointed roughly at Lyn. "I didn't expect to see her so tainted with the blood of Sacae."

All at once, Lyn's Sacaean pride came rushing to the surface. Her face turned red and her hands curled into fists as she glowered at the arrogant nobleman in front of her. "What?"

Marquess Araphen folded his arms over his chest and frowned, looking troubled. "Don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this...nomadic mongrel?"

For a moment, the room was silent. Not a single member of our troop knew how to react to this statement. The man who had promised Lyn armed support was now revoking his promise because she was from Sacae? What an ass.

"You—!" At a loss for words, Sain reached for his sword—which, as much as I wanted him to stab the marquess several times, was a bad idea.

"Sain, hold!" cried Kent, leaping in front of his fellow knight and saving Lyn's Legion from becoming criminals. Turning to the marquess with a strained smile, Kent said, "My apologies, my lord Marquess."

"Hm…" The marquess addressed Lyn, "Your man is poorly disciplined."

Well, he had a point there. No one would argue that discipline was Sain's strong suit. Still, no one was allowed to criticize that idiotic knight except for members of our troop.

"Marquess Araphen!" pleaded Kent. "Please...if you would grace us with your aid..."

A smirk crossed the marquess' wretched face. "I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed. I wonder whether he will survive to meet this girl. In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. And I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess."

Sain's grip on his sword tightened. "You scheming—"

"Sain!"

With a single word, Lyn managed to put an end to Sain's anger. Albeit with some reluctance, Sain released his sword and folded his arms over his chest.

With a smile that strained her face, Lyn turned to the marquess and said, "I understand. Kent, Sain, we take our leave at once." She nodded to the rest of our troop and then started towards the exit.

"Milady Lyndis!" cried Kent, hurrying after her. "We—"

Lyn spun around and met Kent's eyes with an iron will. Speaking loud enough to that Marquess Araphen was sure to hear her, Lyn said, "I am proud of the Sacae blood that runs through my veins. I will _not_ accept aid from one who disparages my heritage."

She left the throne room without another word, her soldiers following her with looks of awe on their faces. I glanced over my shoulder at the marquess, who didn't seem the least bit perturbed by Lyn's statement. He caught me looking, however, and asked, "What is it? What do you want?" He smirked. "Don't tell me you're tired of working for that Sacaean dog. I won't hire you."

In the softest voice I could manage, I asked, "Have you heard of an organization called the Black Fang?"

The smile slipped off the marquess' face. "What?"

"I suppose you wouldn't have," I said thoughtfully. "They operate only in Bern." Smiling as pleasantly as possible, I said, "They're assassins. But not the kind of assassins you can hire. They come in the night, silently and swiftly, slipping through the unseen cracks in your defenses, to deal the justice of death to cruel and petty noblemen such as yourself." I turned my back on the marquess and headed for the door. "Araphen is on the border of Bern, though. I'm sure the Black Fang will hear of you soon enough."

I didn't stay to see or hear the marquess' reaction. I had said my piece; hopefully, the mere mention of the Black Fang would be enough to give him nightmares. The nobility of Bern had certainly been scared witless by the assassin's guild. It was a probably a stupid threat to make, and possibly a threat that would alert my pursuers to my location. But Marquess Araphen had pissed me off, and I had snapped. Ah, well—I couldn't take back the past.

When I caught up to the troop, I heard Sain's loud voice ringing through the castle hall. "That was well done, milady! The marquess is a lout. Don't worry about anything. We're all here for you—isn't that so, Kent?"

Rather than celebrate, Kent solemnly said, "I beg your forgiveness, milady."

Lyn frowned. "Why are you apologizing, Kent?"

"I've been so concerned with seeing you to Caelin. I failed to take your feelings into account."

I rolled my eyes. Kent took everything a degree too seriously.

"Is that it?" asked Lyn with a soft smile. "Trouble yourself no more. You have put my safety above all else. I've seen that—hold your head up and be proud."

"Milady Lyndis…" murmured Kent, looking deeply moved.

"Well, this was an exciting detour," I said. "But we should be heading on to Caelin."

"The marquess of Araphen," said Lyn, suddenly remembering something. "He said my grandfather was ill… I have only just discovered my grandfather, and now I'm on the verge of losing him." Her face paled, but she quickly recovered her strength and said, "We must hurry!"

Kent placed a fist to his chest in a sort of salute. "As we approach Caelin, Lundgren's obstacles will be more difficult to overcome. However, I've vowed to see you through to the end, milady!"

Lyn smiled. "I'm counting on you, Kent."

"I'm with you too," said Sain.

"And me!" cried Florina.

Soon the others were voicing their agreement. They would help Lyn reach Caelin no matter the cost.

With a one armed shrug, I said, "Yeah, I suppose I'll come along."

Lyn laughed at my comment and then smiled at her legion. "Thank you, Sain, Florina, Nora, everyone… Thank you for always standing at my side. It's because of all of you that I…I will persevere! They will never break my spirit!"

I stared at Lyn's face for a moment. Glistening tears had started to form in the corners of her eyes. I said, "If you cry, I'm going to go back and asking Marquess Araphen to hire me."

"I'm sorry, Nora," said Lyn, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know you hate crying. It's just… Thank you for everything."

* * *

We had reached the gates of the city, and despite losing an armed escort, the group was in high spirits. We walked along the dirt path as the sun set over the treetops, casting our company in a soft, orange light.

"Only fifteen more days on foot until we reach Caelin!" cried Sain. "You will love it there, my beauteous lady."

"Don't brag about Caelin too much," said Wil. "Or Lyn might be disappointed when she finally sees it."

"I'm not bragging," said Sain. "Caelin is truly as wondrous as I describe. Why—"

Sain's speech about Caelin's perfection was interrupted by the sound of hoof beats. Looking over our shoulders, we saw a green-haired nomad on horseback galloping towards us. With a tug on the reins, Rath slowed his horse to a stop and dismounted before Lyndis.

"Rath!" cried Lyn. "What is it? What are you—?"

"I overheard the marquess talking." Rath made a noise of disgust and I had the feeling he'd overheard the marquess saying some less than favorable things about Sacae. Grimly, Rath said, "Lyn of the Lorca, proud daughter of the Sacae, I would join you. I would add my strength to yours."

Lyn's eyes widened. "Truly?"

"And this…" Rath pulled a cloth bag out of his rucksack. "I want you to take it."

Lyn accepted the bag and opening it, she let out a gasp. "This is gold!"

"Really?" I asked, peering over Lyn's shoulder. Matthew nodded enthusiastically beside me.

"It's too much," said Lyn, thrusting the bag back to Rath. "I can't accept it."

Matthew shook his head frantically.

"I have no need for it," said Rath. "And if it will help you…"

Lyn bit her bottom lip. "But…"

"I cannot take back something once offered."

"You heard him," I said, taking the bag of gold from Lyn before she could do something foolish and noble with it—like give it to the poor. "I approve of Rath. Why didn't we make the rest pay before joining? That's a really good idea. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

"Rath," said Lyn, ignoring me entirely. "I thank you."

He didn't respond, but I could've sworn a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

There turned out to be five-thousand gold in the bag. Matthew tried to nick a piece, but I caught him in the act and told him I was deducting from his pay.

"You're truly tight-fisted," said Dorcas as I added the five-thousand gold to our savings bag that was strapped to Sain's horse.

"I splurged when I bought the knights javelins," I said. "Now we can afford to buy you a new hand-axe and new swords for Kent and Sain."

"Are we so poor?" asked Dorcas.

"How much do you think it costs to buy food for nine people? Eleven now that we have Matthew and Rath."

Dorcas frowned, but before he could think of a response, Serra came running over to us.

"I feel something...I feel it!" cried Serra. "Someone's staring at me!" She gasped and placed a hand over her heart. "It must be some poor fool who's smitten with me. Alas, my beauty has rendered him speechless. Ah…I'm so cute it's almost criminal."

"I don't think that's right," said Dorcas slowly.

"Only an idiot would become smitten with you," I said. "Even Sain's not that stupid."

While I didn't believe Serra's explanation, I did believe that someone might be watching her. I looked around, searching for possible culprits, until my gaze landed on Matthew. Now, the thief was definitely smart enough not to fall in love with Serra, so there had to be some other reason he kept glancing at her. Now that I thought back on it, Matthew had been overeager to join our group.

Matthew noticed me watching him and grinned.

My eyes narrowed. Damn it, I liked our new thief (he understood the concept of "redistribution of wealth"), and now I was going to have to keep an eye on him. I really hoped he didn't turn out to be a spy or something.


	8. In Which We Save Some Strange Siblings

**Chapter Eight: In Which We Save Some Strange Siblings**

_**Lyn—Chapter 7: Siblings Abroad**_

The knowledge that her newfound grandfather's life was in danger made Lyn's journey to Caelin much more urgent. Our rest stops were fewer and shorter, and we were given little time to replenish our food supply. In a village just outside Khathelet, Kent managed to convince Lyn that we needed to stop and rest properly or we would all collapse on the side of road. Reluctantly, Lyn agreed.

We didn't even make it off the road, however. As we approached, I spotted a young boy come running from the inn. The boy looked to be about fourteen with light blue hair and red eyes. His yellow scarf flapped around his shoulders as yelled, "Please! Somebody! Somebody, please help!"

A large man stood in the doorway of the inn, watching the boy with a contorted expression on his face. "That's enough! Get out now—I want none of your trouble!"

"But, sir," cried the boy. "Why? You were so kind yesterday."

"I thought you were just two kids, a couple of traveling performers." The innkeeper shook his head. "If those men are chasing you, you must be up to no good. Now get out! You're a plague on decent folk!"

"But…" Tears welled up in the boy's eyes.

"We still have ten more days until we reach Caelin," Lyn was saying as we made our way through the village streets. "We cannot afford to stay here long."

Lyn hadn't noticed the boy outside the inn, which, in my opinion, was a good thing, since Lyn would never be able to pass by a crying boy without stopping to help.

Unfortunately for me, the boy caught sight of us. He wiped away his tears and approached our troop.

"Pardon me," he murmured.

Lyn's fierce expression lessened as she turned to face the boy. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"You and your friends…" The boy glanced around at our group. "Are you mercenaries?"

"And if we are?" asked Lyn.

"I need your help," said the boy.

I suppressed a sigh. I really hoped this boy just wanted help getting his pet out of a well or something simple. I was haggard from traveling nonstop and I hadn't eaten a proper meal in days—I hoped no one expected me to come up with a battle strategy under these conditions.

"Milady Lyndis," said Kent, always the voice of reason. "You mustn't let your guard down. Not even for a child."

Lyn grimaced. "I know." She turned back to the boy and said, as kindly as she could, "Forgive me, but we're in a hurry. Is there someone else you can ask?"

"There's no time!" he cried. "Ninian's been… It's my sister! Some men have taken her away!"

Sain perked up at the mention of a female in need of rescuing. "Your sister? Did you say your sister's been accosted?"

Kent ran a hand through his orange hair. "Sain…"

"Pervert," I muttered.

The boy, thankfully, didn't notice Sain's impure intentions and said, "That's right! By some cruel, awful men. I don't know what I'll do without Ninian."

"Milady Lyndis!" said Sain, eyes filled with resolution. "We must help him!"

"Nonsense," snapped Kent. "We haven't the time. If the marquess is as ill as we've heard, we must proceed as soon as possible. A short rest is required, but we do not have time to chase after accosted women."

Lyn, who had been determined to press on just minutes earlier, hesitated. She looked at the earnest face of the boy and, taking a deep breath, said, "Kent, I-I want to help this child."

Well, I could've called that one.

"Milady?" Kent turned in his saddle to get a good look at Lyn.

"I'm worried about my grandfather, of course," said Lyn. "But I cannot stand by and let a child be taken from her home!"

"I see…" murmured Kent.

"I'm sorry," said Lyn.

Kent straightened in his saddle. "I am your loyal retainer. You owe me no apologies. You must do as your heart dictates, milady. I will follow you, no matter where that may lead."

Lyn smiled, though it seemed like more a grimace to me. "Thank you."

"Hah! Such a noble speech! Ever the true knight, that Kent." Sain slapped the boy on the back so hard that the kid stumbled forward. "Ah, well. You're in luck, laddie. Now, let's go get your sister!"

Wincing in pain, the boy edged away from Sain. He stopped, however, when he noticed Lyn watching him.

"Will you lead us to the men who've done this?" asked Lyn.

"Uh huh." The boy nodded. "They're really tough, so be careful."

"Leave them to us. We're pretty tough ourselves." Lyn glanced over at me. "Right, Nora?"

"Tough?" I snorted. "I feel like I'm about to faint from hunger. Can we stop at the inn before rescuing the sister?"

Lyn laughed and, seeing the horrified expression on the boy's face, said, "She's joking."

"Oh." The boy realized he was forgetting something and quickly said, "My name's Nils, by the way."

"Here." Matthew materialized at my side, holding a piece of bread. "I took it from Wil's stash."

Oh, I really hoped Matthew wasn't a spy. It would be a shame to lose him. I took the bread, but only managed to get two bites in before a shaman, a swordsman, and an archer appeared at the eastern edge of the village.

"Oh no!" Nils backed away.

"Found him!" shouted the archer. "C'mon, it's back to Nergal with you."

"No!" cried Nils, cowering behind Sain's horse. "Let Ninian go!"

The swordsman grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. "We ain't supposed to kill you, but we sure can rough you up!"

Swinging his sword, the enemy charged towards Nils, but drawing the Mani Katti, Lyn leapt between the two.

"Who do you think you are?" asked the swordsman, taking a step back.

"Lyn!" cried Nils.

Lyn kept the Mani Katti between her and the enemy. "Let the boy's sister go."

"Ah…" The swordsman let out a bark of laughter. "So you want to help the kid, huh? What a shame. You're gonna die for something that don't concern you."

"You think so, do you?" said Lyn. "Do we look so meek to you? I think you're in for a terrible shock!"

I scarfed down as much of the bread as I could; I had the feeling I wasn't going to have much time to eat it before my advice was needed.

"Stupid girl," said the swordsman. "You'll regret those words. Take 'em down, boys!"

More bandits appeared around the village. I swallowed the last of the bread and brushed the crumbs from my clothes before moving to get a better look at our surroundings.

There was a small mountainous area to the south, but thankfully, we had the high ground and through the gap between two mountain ridges, I could see the fortress where the enemy seemed to have set up camp. There was a shaman on the south side of the village, an archer to the north, and an axe-wielder in the hills to the east. There was a second village in the east where we could perhaps get some supplies and food (or, at least, I hoped so, the bread would only relieve my hunger temporarily) with two swordsmen, a mage, and an axe-wielder on the other side of the river. Across a second river was the Khathelet fortress, the leader, an axe-wielder, and two shamans were guarding the enemy camp.

"We're facing a shaman, Nora," said Lyn, who had been scouting out the area as well. "I've heard that practitioners of the dark arts are fearsome foes. We'll have to be careful…"

The door to the inn opened and an extremely feminine monk with long, silky blond hair and blue robes stepped outside. I expected him to ignore us, but instead he came straight to Lyn. She jumped a little at the sight of him and asked, "What? Who are you?"

"Please forgive me. I never meant to startle you," said the monk.

"Your robes…" Lyn seemed to have a hard time believing he was male. She stared at his face for a moment before managing to say, "They look like religious vestry. Are you an Elimine bishop?"

"Yes…well, no. I'm only an acolyte, an Elimine monk, to be specific. My name's Lucius."

"Do you have business with us?" asked Lyn.

Lucius nodded. "I was at the inn when this child came seeking help. The innkeeper was afraid to get involved. He was…unpleasant."

"I wasn't afraid of him!" cried Nils. "I'm used to being treated that way."

We all turned to stare Nils. He didn't seem to realize how pitiful his words were. His red eyes, burning with determination, were fixated on Lyn.

"That's awful," murmured Lyn.

"May I please lend you my services?" asked Lucius. "I truly wish to help the boy. If only a little."

"Of course," said Lyn.

"Thank you very much. The blessings of St. Elimine be upon you."

Lucius smiled, and I was struck by how attractive the monk was. It was unnatural and unfair that such beauty belonged to a man. Now, I wasn't the jealous type or anything, but his beauty made me instinctively dislike him—to the degree that I momentarily debated putting him in the path of an axe-wielder. However, I was too mature to purposely kill one of our companions. Lucius had no idea how lucky he was.

"You use light magic?" I asked.

"Yes," said Lucius.

"Good. Take care of the shaman to the south of the village."

If he was surprised by my curtness, Lucius didn't show it. He obeyed my orders and, clutching his tome in one hand, fired a lightning spell at the shaman. The shaman fell to his knees in pain, but managed to utter the words to a flux spell. Lucius dodged the attack—quick on his feet for a monk—and sent another lightning spell. The shaman crouched on the ground, trying to regain his strength.

"I can help, too," said Nils, moving to my side.

I raised my eyebrows and turned to Lyn. Did she really expect me to throw this kid onto the battlefield? I may be heartless at times, but I wasn't _that_ heartless.

"Nils," said Lyn. "Can you fight?"

I was relieved when Nils said, "No, but I'm a bard, and bards are useful to have around."

"A bard? " Lyn frowned. "Do you mean you're a minstrel? This is no place for a ballad or a saltarello."

I was impressed Lyn knew what a saltarello was. I sure didn't.

"C'mon, trust me!" Nils turned to me with a cheeky grin. "I'm all yours, Nora."

"I don't have any experience with bards," I said. "You're going to have to explain to me what it is you do, exactly."

"My music is special." Nils struggled to find a way to describe it. "It has magical properties…it'll help increase the strength or speed of someone's attack."

"All right. I can work with that." I raked my fingers through my ash-brown hair. "For a trial run, can you play a strength song for Lucius?"

Nils grinned as he moved to stand beside Lucius. He lifted his wooden flute to his lips and started to play. Not to say that I was an expert in the arts, but Nils' music was _divine_. A warmth spread through my chest, filling me courage—and I was not the courageous type. I felt as though I could have lifted a boulder if there was one in front of me.

After playing a short melody, Nils lowered his flute and Lucius turned to the half-dead shaman. Curious, I watched as Lucius repeated a lightning spell. There was a definite change in strength as the lightning slammed into the shaman, charring his body and knocking him backwards. By the time the flash of light had disappeared, the shaman was nothing more than a corpse in the grass.

"I can feel the effects," said Lucius, examining his tomes. "My magic is much stronger with just a few notes."

"That was lovely, Nils," said Lyn, a little in awe. "Invigorating, even. You ought to play for me sometime. I could use the boost."

"Everyone could," said Nils, looking around at our travel-worn group. "My music can refresh you all."

"Interesting," I said, staring at the body of the shaman. "I think I'll like having you around, Nils."

He looked ecstatic at the idea of me utilizing him for the sake of killing. Well, he did mention that he and his sister had been shunned a lot. I'm sure that kind of upbringing had messed with his head.

"And now to deal with the archer." I glanced around at the troops. I sent Matthew and Florina to the archer and then Sain sat on a small fort, armed with a sword so he could defend against the axe-wielder that was moving closer to us.

"There's a vendor in the village if you want to buy anything," said Lucius. "They sell healing staffs, vulneraries, and fire tomes from what I saw."

"Excellent," I said. "Serra, go buy yourself a new staff. And, Erk, go with her and get a new tomes."

Erk looked less than pleased at having to go with Serra, but he followed my instructions.

"Should we visit the houses?" asked Lyn. She caught sight of my pained expression and said, "The citizens were useful in Araphen."

I couldn't argue with that, so I said, "Fine, go knock on the door of the inn and see what he can tell us about the people who are chasing Nils."

Smiling at having won an argument over me, Lyn headed for the inn. I followed a little distance behind so I could hear the conversation. The innkeeper answered the door and the moment Lyn mentioned that we were helping Nils, he started to rant, "That's quite a group you've gotten yourself involved with. You do know you're facing the Black Fang, right?"

I froze. _What? What did he just say?_

The innkeeper just kept on talking. "Anyone they target winds up…well, you know. No one escapes the Fang! That's what they say, anyway. You and those odd children? I'd say you're finished. Not that I'll have any part of it. Course not!" He slammed the door in Lyn's face.

"Well," said Lyn, returning to my side. "He may have been rude, but he at least told us who we're fighting. The Black Fang? I've never heard of them."

I had.

I knew that group of Bernese mercenaries well. But the Black Fang was sworn to protect innocents and punish those who abused their powers. Why were they trying to kidnap Nils and his sister? That wasn't right. The Black Fang would never do that. Brendan was an honorable man. He wanted to help the weak, not chase them into Lycia and cause so much fear that no one would help them. The Fang would never… Lloyd would never allow this. Never.

"Nora?" Lyn grabbed my wrist. "Nora, what's wrong? The Black Fang? Do you recognize that name?"

"What?" I dragged myself back to reality. I was in the middle of a battle. These people were relying on me to direct them. I could deal with the truth behind the innkeeper's words later.

Lyn was still watching me worriedly, so I lied and said, "The name sounds familiar, but I can't think of where I heard it. Kent." I turned to the knight. "Can you knock on the door of the neighboring house and see if they have anything useful to tell us?"

Kent shot me a curious glance before doing as I asked.

"Everyone else," I said. "Move forward. We have to hurry if we're going to rescue Ninian."

We caught up with Sain, Florina, and Matthew, who had dealt with the axe-wielder and were watching two enemies, a swordsman and another axe-wielder, approach.

They were Black Fang, I realized. The people we were fighting and killing were Black Fang. How could I fight the Fang? What would Lloyd say if he saw me?

I shook my head. I couldn't afford to think like that right now. I left three months ago; the Black Fang had nothing to do with me anymore.

"Lyn and Wil," I said, "take care of the axe-wielder. Erk and Florina, deal with the swordsman. Sain, I want you to head down to the bridge to stop the swordsman and mage in the south from crossing—and take out your javelin."

The five of them hurried to do as I commanded. Sain was burned by the mage's fire spell and the bandit managed to slice open Lyn's left shoulder with his axe. Serra healed Sain and then Lyn, the crystal in the top of her staff glowing a brilliant purple.

"Matthew," I said, "go ahead to the village, then take the easternmost bridge to the south. Sain and Rath, go with him. Wil, finish off the swordsman near the westernmost bridge. The rest of us will cross through the hills."

The swordsman dodged Wil's arrow and I had to send Erk with his fire spells in to kill the enemy.

Just then, Kent caught up with him, his horse panting heavily from the swift ride.

"Anything interesting from the villagers?" I asked.

"Just that there's a rotted tree to the west side of these mountains," said Kent. "We could've knocked it down and approached the fortress of that side."

"Not necessary," I said. "We'll reach just fine from this direction. Follow Matthew, Sain, and Rath to the easternmost bridge. Your horse will have trouble crossing through the hills."

Kent nodded. He threw a glance in Lyn's direction, making sure she was safe, before digging his heels into the sides of his horse and cantering after the others.

Crossing the hills was slow, but we managed to get over. After Nils played a song for her, I sent Florina to the south to deal with the shaman there. She killed him in two swift strikes with the lance and received minimal damage from the flux spell. Then, after crossing the bridge, Lyn, Erk, and Lucius obliterated the remaining enemies, which left us with just the leader, who was perched in the doorway of the fortress, watching us with an increasingly frustrated expression on his face.

Just then, Kent, Sain, Rath, and Matthew arrived from the east. Matthew grinned when he saw me and held up a glass flask filled with a bright blue liquid.

"Pure water," he said. "If you drink it, you'll be protected from the worst of magic."

I raised my eyebrows.

Matthew's grin widened. "It's worth nine-hundred gold pieces."

"Excellent." I hesitated and then said, "Hey, Matthew, you seem like the talkative sort."

Matthew immediately became suspicious. "What are you thinking, Nora?"

"See that house over there," I said, pointing. "Do you mind knocking on the door and talking to whoever's inside? Just ask them if they, uh, know anything about the Black Fang."

Matthew snorted. "You really don't like talking to strangers, do you?"

"They exhaust me," I said. "I haven't eaten properly in days and I'm not in the mood for idiots right now."

Laughing, Matthew made his way over to the house. I trailed at a safe distance, just close enough to overhear the conversation.

Matthew knocked on the door, and after a moment, a huge brute opened the door. He was young man, probably around my age, with short blue hair and thick armor. Judging by the quality of his clothes, he was probably nobility.

"Huh? Milord!" exclaimed Matthew. He paused and then glanced over his shoulder at me. Despite my curiosity, I kept my face blank and pretended that I couldn't hear their conversation. Relief crossed Matthew's face as he turned back to the nobleman and asked, "What brings you here?"

"Ah, Matthew," said the nobleman. "Eliwood and I are here for our monthly bout."

"You're still testing one another's fighting prowess, eh?" Matthew nodded. "It's a solid friendship you two share, that you can practice so faithfully."

The nobleman grinned, showing his white teeth. "If you don't sharpen your blade, you lose your edge. So tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Milord Uther was curious about the succession issue here."

Ah-ha. I fought back a grin (which would surely give away my eavesdropping). So I was right—Matthew _was_ a spy. However, rather than working for Lord Lundgren, he was a spy for House Ostia. Well, it didn't seem like House Ostia was trying to kill us, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let Matthew continue travelling with us. After all, what would I do without someone to steal valuables?

The nobleman leaned against the doorframe. "Oh, the long-lost granddaughter thing, right? So, which way does my brother lean?"

So this nobleman was Lord Uther's brother. Interesting. I pretended to study a nearby bush while listening to Matthew's answer.

"By my assessment," said Matthew, "he will back the granddaughter's claim. The marquess's brother, Lundgren, is too ambitious by far. Left alone, we might wake to find him at Ostia's door before long."

"Sound advice, I think," said the nobleman.

"My return to Ostia is going to be delayed a bit," said Matthew. "Would you mind letting Lord Uther know?"

The nobleman scoffed. "What, so the marquess's brother is now your personal messenger?"

"You always did have a good sense of humor, milord." Matthew winked. "Don't forget my message!" He left the house, heading towards me.

"What impudence!" cried Hector before closing the door.

"What did he say?" I asked when Matthew reached me.

"He doesn't know anything about the Black Fang," lied Matthew. "Though he does like to ramble about the value of axes over any other weapon."

"Well, all right then," I said, starting towards the fortress. "I still think visiting houses is useless."

"Lady Lyndis likes to hear what the populace is thinking," said Matthew. "It's a good trait to have in the heir of Caelin."

I couldn't argue with that.

As we approached the fortress, I felt a pit of dread forming in my stomach. The longer I looked at the shaman, the more his features seemed familiar. His gray beard and pointed nose… Heintz. I'd met him once before and he'd seemed like an unpleasant fellow. I pulled up the hood of my green cloak, pretending my ears were cold. I didn't like Heintz, but having to fight someone I knew from the Black Fang wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Erk, Lucius," I said, careful to keep my head bowed beneath my hood. "Years of training have given you two the highest resistance to his magic. Take turns blasting spells at him. Serra, heal them if he manages to land a blow."

"Who are you supposed to be?" sneered Heintz as Erk and Lucius approached him. "Playing the heroes in some foolish knightly romance? You may think you're helping the children, but you're only rushing to your doom!"

My plan worked perfectly. Since anima magic was weak against dark magic, Erk suffered the most from Heintz's spells, but Serra healed him with her staff so he could continue to attack. Erk and Lucius wore down Heintz until Lucius managed to strike the killing blow and Heintz crumpled to the ground, exhausted.

"You were only…striking at air…" whispered Heintz, gasping for air. "You are…too late. The girl is already—" His eyes closed and his breathing stopped.

My chest tightened. How many of the Black Fang had died here? How many had died thanks to my orders? What had I done? I could never return to Bern now. I could never look my husband in the eyes again without feeling guilt. I may have run away three months ago, but I'd left Sonia, not the Black Fang. Never the Black Fang.

No one noticed my inner turmoil. They all rushed into the fortress, searching for the kidnapped Ninian. I stood in the entranceway, staring at the stone floor and trying to remember my husband's face. It'd only been three months, and already the details had started to fade from my memory.

After several minutes of running throughout the halls and calling her name, the group joined me in the front hallway. Kent and Sain remained outside, keeping watch for any more attackers. I tried to push my thoughts on the Black Fang away and focus on the question of Ninian's whereabouts, but it was hard, so hard. Memories of my past had a way of creeping back into my mind when I least expected.

"Nils! Where's your sister?" asked Lyn, brushing her sweaty bangs out of her eyes.

"Ninian! Ninian…" Nils looked about frantically, his face turning paler by the second. "She's not here. Why? Where could she be?"

"My lady Lyndis!" Kent sprinted into the fortress, abandoning his watch post. "A villager spotted a group of men riding south."

Sain followed Kent back inside the fortress. "The boy's dear sister…they must have her!"

"Come!" cried Lyn, hurrying to the exit. "We must give chase!"

"But…but…" stammered Nils, looking at the three horses our group possessed. "We won't make it! What if they've already…"

"Are you looking for this girl here?"

Our salvation came in the form of a deep-voiced young man. We all turned to look down the hallway where a red-haired man dressed in the blue clothes of a Lycian nobleman was carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. The girl, who looked about sixteen or so, had light green hair and wore a pale, floor-length dress.

"Ninian! Ninian!" Nils rushed towards his sister, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"She'll be fine. She's just lost consciousness," said the nobleman.

I frowned. What was with all these noblemen showing up in a village outside of Khathelet?

"Who are you?" asked Lyn.

The young man smiled. "I'm Eliwood of Pherae. My father is the marquess."

Eliwood…Eliwood…the name sounded familiar. Then, I remembered—Lord Uther's brother had mentioned that he was meeting Eliwood for their monthly bout. Well, they certainly picked a good time and place to meet. Who knows what would have happened if Eliwood hadn't been here to rescue Ninian.

"The marquess's son…" murmured Lyn.

"She was with a band of ruffians," said Eliwood, lowering Ninian's feet to the ground, but keeping his arm around her shoulders so she remained upright. "She seemed upset and looked in need of rescuing… Was I wrong to involve myself?"

"No, you saved her life. Thank you." Lyn helped find Ninian a comfortable place to lie down. "My name is Lyn, by the way. I'm from Sacae. I'm Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."

"Marquess Caelin?" asked Eliwood, blue eyes widening.

I didn't bother to listen as Lyn explained her story. I had been present for all of it; I didn't need a review. Instead, I tried to figure out what the Black Fang was trying to accomplish. Brendan would never kidnap children, and even if, for some mad reason he gave the order to, his sons would never allow it. Lloyd was far too honorable to harm innocents, and while Linus seemed a little battle-mad, he was just as determined to protect citizens as his brother. And yet, this was definitely the work of the Black Fang. But why? Why would the Fang change their ideals?

Maybe a faction of the Fang had gone rogue. Maybe Heintz was acting on his own, out of the knowledge of Brendan and his sons. No. Even if I personally hadn't liked Heintz (I didn't like most people), he was fiercely loyal to Brendan. If Heintz tried to kidnap Ninian and Nils, it was on Brendan's orders. But why would Brendan do that?

Sonia.

Her name came easily, but I still had trouble believing it. I'd even supported Brendan and Sonia's marriage at first. Not because I liked her, but because she made Brendan happy—and Brendan, the hardworking leader of the Black Fang, deserved to be happy. But back then, I didn't think that Sonia would have so much influence over Brendan. He was a strong man, strong enough to resist the allures of that woman. Or so I'd thought.

But why didn't Lloyd and Linus tell their father that his orders were immoral? Why didn't they stop him? Did they want their precious Black Fang to become a guild of child-killing assassins?

I winced. I couldn't bear to associate the words "child-killing" with Lloyd. Lloyd wasn't anything like that. He was the White Wolf, one of the Four Fangs. He dispensed the Fang's justice and protected the citizens of Bern from tyranny. He taught himself the myrmidon style of fighting because he thought their movements were beautiful. Lloyd—_my_ Lloyd—allowing Ninian and Nils to be taken from their home and kidnapped? Never.

"And that's my story." Lyn's voice broke through my thoughts. "It's not an easy tale to believe, I know…"

"No," said Eliwood earnestly. "I do believe you."

Lyn seemed surprised. "What?"

"At first glance," explained Eliwood, "what I saw was a daughter of the plainsfolk. Now I can see it, though. You have your grandfather's eyes."

"Do you know my grandfather?"

Eliwood smiled. "The marquess, Lord Hausen, is my father's good friend. I also know that the proud people of Sacae tell no lies. It's true, isn't it?"

"Yes…" The tension seemed to melt away from Lyn's body. "Thank you. I would not have expected any Lycian noble to be so courteous to a Sacaean nomad."

Eliwood reddened a little at Lyn's words. He quickly said, "You seem to be in trouble. May I be of assistance?"

Personally, I would have welcomed the assistance of the heir of Pharae; however, Lyn's Sacaean pride got in the way. She said, "Thank you for your kind offer. This is my problem, though, and I'll deal with it."

"I see." Eliwood frowned but then added, "I'll be in the area for a few days longer. If you need anything, please let me know. Lyndis, I'm on your side."

A smile flittered across Lyn's face. "Eliwood, thank you."

"I'm sorry to leave so soon," said Eliwood. "But I'm supposed to be meeting someone in a house not far from here, and I'm already awfully late."

I wanted Eliwood to stay and help us. Involving him would, most likely, mean involving Lord Uther of Ostia's brother, which could only help Lyn on her journey to depose Lundgren. However, now that I considered the situation more carefully, involving House Pherare and House Ostia right now would definitely bring the Black Fang to their attention. I couldn't do that to Brendan.

"Once again," said Lyn. "Thank you."

Eliwood smiled before leaving through the side doors of the fortress. After a couple minutes, I heard the sound of hooves on grass as Eliwood sped across the valley towards the house where his friend waited.

"Are you all right, Nora?" Lyn was watching me from the other side of the room.

"Yes," I lied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem…distracted."

"Well, of course," I said. "I haven't had anything to eat today but a stolen piece of bread. Who can think straight when they're starving?"

After getting me some food from our supply, Lyn and I headed back to the entrance hall where Ninian had been lain down on some blankets. Nils crouched next to her, his face white with worry. Sain stood in the doorway, watching Nils carefully, while Kent stood next to him, peering outside in case any enemies showed up to reclaim the siblings. The rest of the troop was scattered in different parts of the fortress, eating and resting as needed.

Suddenly, Nils let out a squawk of surprise. "Ninian! Are you awake?"

The girl's eyes, as red as her brother's, fluttered opened. "Nils? Is it really you? Oh, you're safe…" She shifted to an upright position, placing a hand to her forehead as the dizziness caught up to her.

"Uh-huh." Nils touched her shoulder. "These people helped me."

Ninian looked around the entranceway and noticed us for the first time. She leaned closer to her brother and asked, softly, "Who are they?"

"Uh…" Nils seemed unsure how to describe us.

Lyn moved from the doorway to crouch on the ground beside Ninian. "I'm Lyn. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Ninian's eyes widened. "Milady Lyn…thank you. I'm called Ninian. My brother, Nils, and I are traveling performers."

"Both of you?" asked Lyn. "Your brother's a musician. How about you, Ninian?"

"I…I dance."

"What? Oh my...you're a dancer!" Sain looked thrilled at the thought.

"Sain…" said Lyn wearily. "Later, please."

"Um, yeah. Of course." Bowing his head, Sain stepped outside.

"Good thinking," I told him. "Lyn might behead you if you keep making comments like that."

Lyn turned her attention back to Ninian. "A dancer? Your clothes don't look like those of a dancer."

"Ninian dances to honor life," explained Nils. "It's special…sacred."

Lyn's brow furrowed. "A sacred dance? What does that mean?"

After seeing the power of Nils' music, I was curious and eager to see what Ninian's dances did. However, the girl lowered her gaze to the ground and said, "I…the dance I perform when we travel is just a normal dance. My other dance, though… When they caught me, I twisted my ankle. I cannot dance to aid you…I'm sorry."

"Please don't worry," said Lyn, though I could hear a hint of disappointment in her voice. "We're just happy to see that you're out of harm's way."

"Thank you," said Ninian.

"But I am concerned about your leg. If you can't travel on it…" Lyn inspected the swollen ankle.

"I've an idea," said Nils "Would it be too much to ask that we travel with you?"

"I can't allow that!" cried Lyn. "It's far too dangerous. We're being hunted. We never know when we're going to be attacked."

"They're being hunted too," I pointed out.

"We wouldn't be a hindrance," said Nils. "We could even help you. Right, Ninian?"

"Yes," said Ninian. "We might be able to repay our debt using our…special talents."

"Special talents?" repeated Lyn.

Ninian hesitated. "When something poses a threat to us, we can sense its approach."

"Truly?" exclaimed Lyn. "That's amazing!"

"We can feel it coming, but we can't do anything to stop it." Nils glanced over at Kent, who stood in the doorway. "You're warriors, though, so you don't have that worry."

I was already beginning to have suspicions about these two siblings. The Fang wanted them for a reason, most likely because of these talents. But was that really all there was to it? Where did these talents come from? These siblings weren't normal—what were they?

Lyn got to her feet and moved towards Kent. I crossed the room to join their conversation.

"What do you think, Kent?" asked Lyn.

A faint smile crossed Kent's face. "I think leaving them here would cause Lady Lyndis more worry than having them travel with us."

Lyn glanced outside. "Sain? Oh, never mind. I know what your answer is."

Sain laughed but remained outside to avoid Lyn's sword.

Finally, Lyn looked at me. She wanted my opinion, but what could I say? I didn't exactly what to be responsible for the lives of children while forming battle strategies—but Ninian and Nils weren't normal. Nils hadn't hesitated to help us on the battlefield. Besides, the Black Fang was hunting them. It would be difficult for them to avoid the Fang without protection—and who knew how to avoid the Fang better than me? I didn't want Lloyd, or Linus and Brendan for that matter, to become child-murderers. I didn't know what they were thinking when they allowed the Fang to pursue Ninian and Nils, but I would foil the Fang's plan if it meant keeping Lloyd safe from his own poor judgments.

"Let them come with us, Lyn," I said. "I can protect them."

If she found my statement that I—the weaponless tactician—could protect the siblings odd, she said nothing. Instead, she addressed Ninian and Nils, saying, "Do you really want to travel with us?"

"Of course," said Ninian.

Nils relief was visible. "You have our gratitude, milady."

Swaying a little, Ninian got to her feet. She froze, however, and touched her left hand. "Oh."

"What's wrong?" asked Nils.

"I've lost my ring." Ninian turned to inspect the blankets on the ground.

"Not Nini's Grace," said Nils, getting on his knees to search the fabric just in case she had dropped the ring while sleeping.

"The very one," said Ninian.

"They stole it?" cried Nils when he realized the ring was good and truly missing. "Those curs!"

"Was it valuable?" asked Lyn, taking a step closer to the siblings.

"It was a keepsake from our departed mother," said Ninian.

Nils nodded. "It was blessed by the spirit of Nini… There's no other like it in the world. And now, we lost it to those villains. There's nothing we can do."

Ninian's hands shook a little, but all she said was, "You're right."

Lyn watched them for a second before crossing the room to stand beside me. She had that look in her eyes and I knew, before she opened her mouth, what she was going to say.

"Can I talk to you, Nora?" She pulled me to the side and said, "You heard all of that, right? What do you think?" Lyn clasped her hands together. "I'd really love to retrieve Ninian's ring for her. But if Nils is right, those thieves might prove to be too strong for us. What should we do?"

Honestly, chasing after a group whose strength we knew nothing about to retrieve a ring—even if it was a keepsake from their mother—was a stupid idea. But that group was the Black Fang, a Black Fang that had changed drastically since I left three months ago. Any chance I got to learn about them, about Lloyd, I would take. Even if it meant risking the lives of everyone in Lyndis' Legion.

"Let's go," I said. Because I was that selfish of a person.

"You want to help them? That's great! I was hoping you'd say that, Nora." Lyn's eyes were glowing and she was looking at me as if I was St. Elimine reincarnated. She crossed the entranceway to the door, crying, "Kent! Sain! Those men were headed south. We must give pursuit and catch up while they rest."

"On your word, milady!" said Sain as he moved to alert the troop.

I watched them prepare for battle and felt the disgust building up inside me.

_Don't trust me. _My hands curled into fists and my throat felt dry. _Don't look at me as if I'm going to save you. I'm putting all of you at risk for my own selfish wishes. Because I can't let that person go. Even if I was the one who abandoned him, I still have to protect Lloyd no matter what._


	9. In Which I Have Some Flashbacks

**Chapter Nine: In Which I Have Some Flashbacks**

_**Tactician Side Story**_

"Your parents still haven't returned," said Aunt Lerone, rolling up one of the newly made maps and tying it closed with a red ribbon. "Early May, they told me, but it's almost June and they still haven't returned from Ilia."

I took the rolled paper from Aunt Lerone and placed it on the shelf along with the other maps of Bern.

"They probably saw a new mountain flower and decided to camp in Ilia for an extra month to study it." Aunt Lerone glanced over at me. "They do know your sixteenth birthday is in six days, right?"

I bit the inside on my cheeks to stop myself from retorting. After all, Aunt Lerone was right—my parents were probably camping in the Ilian Mountains, my birthday long forgotten in the face of a wildflower or pegasus. It wasn't that my parents didn't love me, just that I didn't interest them. What was the appeal of a moody, teenage daughter when there was a whole continent to explore? Still, Aunt Lerone didn't need to point out my parents' absence so bluntly.

She had always been like this though. Aunt Lerone would be left in charge of the store while Mother and Father went gallivanting across the continent, returning every once in a while to provide new map designs and staying maybe a month before taking off again. The longest my parents had ever stayed in Trunnel was during the last three months of my mother's pregnancy. After she'd recovered from childbirth, my mother was on the road once again after leaving me in Aunt Lerone's care.

"You need to make a delivery to Sir Ordin," said Aunt Lerone, handing me a hollowed, wooden tube that contained a rolled up map. "The order's already late so don't dawdle."

I had never been one for "dawdling" ever in my life, so I wasn't sure why Aunt Lerone felt the need to tell me this. I took the map from her before grabbing my cloak from the hook by the door.

"Be back for supper," called out Aunt Lerone. "And stay out of trouble."

"If I get into a fight, it's because someone else started it," I said, slinging the leather strap over my shoulders so that the wooden tube rested against my back.

"Nora…"

But before Aunt Lerone could scold me, I slipped out the front door and started down the street towards the south section of the city. It was usually about a half hour walk there and back, but I didn't want to miss dinner, so I walked at a swift pace.

"Nora!" cried Melanie, the young woman who owned a fabric store next door. She was standing in the street, washing the windows of her shop while her husband, Lyle, oiled the hinges on the door.

Lyle glanced at me and, seeing the wooden tube on my back, said, "Not now, Melanie."

"Can't talk," I said, deliberately not looking at her. "Working."

I didn't care for Melanie. She liked to think of me as her charity work—acting as a motherly figure to the poor, abandoned daughter of the eccentric cartographers. I couldn't stand her lectures on good, social behavior and the proper ways a young lady should act. The only reason I put up with her was that she sometimes brought me homemade pastries. I was never one to turn down free food. Especially Melanie's cooking.

"I don't know why you're so insistent on talking to her," said Lyle when he thought I was out of hearing distance. "The girl seems just fine as is."

"Seems just fine," scoffed Melanie. "Her parents are never around and her aunt is foul to her. The poor girl is suffering, even if she doesn't want to show it."

It was a relief to put some distance between me and them. I didn't want to listen to another one of Melanie's "that poor, sad girl" speeches. Unfortunately, Melanie had other idea, and she actually started following me down the street.

"It's almost sundown," said Melanie. "Surely, your aunt doesn't want you to be out in the streets after dark."

"It's fine." I picked up my pace a little bit.

"Nora!" Melanie grabbed me by the wrist, forcing me to turn and face her. "A young lady shouldn't be out by herself at night. There are dangerous men out."

"It's fine," I said again.

"It can wait until tomorrow," said Melanie. "I'll have a talk with Lerone and explain why you can't deliver the map right now."

I gritted my teeth. "No."

"I can't believe Lerone could be so careless." Keeping a firm hold of my wrist, Melanie started walking back toward the store. "You're going to be sixteen soon, old enough to marry, but she's going to ruin any chance of you getting a husband if you run into a bad man."

"I'm fine." I wrenched my arm out of Melanie's grasp.

"Nora Everett!" cried Melanie. "Stop right there!"

I kept walking. Food or no food, I'd be damned if I ever let Melanie interfere in my life again after this. I already had my mother and Lenore, I didn't need another maternal figure—especially not one who insisted on me finding a husband.

"Nora, get back here! Nora!"

"Melanie," groaned Lyle. "Stop."

"Nora!"

A rough hand grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. I found myself face to face with a young man, his blond hair was a ruffled mess and his long coat was mud-stained at the bottom. Though he was over a head taller than me, he couldn't have been more than nineteen. A sword was strapped his side with a leather belt and a red sash were tied over a black shirt. His hazel eyes were alight with curiosity as he stared down at me, but instead of asking questions, the young man only said, "Someone is calling out to you."

"Nora!" Melanie rushed forward and pulled me out of the young man's reach. "What are you doing to her?"

The young man raised his eyebrows. "I was stopping her so you could talk."

I shot a sharp glare in his direction before stepped out of Melanie's grasp. "I have a delivery to make before supper. Let me go."

"It's dangerous," said Melanie. "Just explain to your aunt—"

"No." I turned around and started down the street again.

"Nora!" Melanie wasn't giving up.

"I could escort her."

The young man's words stopped both Melanie and me in our tracks. Glancing over my shoulder, I was that the young man had an easy smile on his face and his stance was relaxed despite how awkward the situation must have been for him.

Melanie turned her big, blue eyes on him and asked, "Who are you? Why should I trust you? You could be one of the men I'm trying to protect Nora from."

"Lloyd Reed of the Black Fang," he said, with a slight bow of his head. "It's my duty to protect the citizens of Bern."

I had overheard the neighborhood children talking about the Black Fang. Started half a year ago by Brendan Reed, the Black Fang was an assassin's guild that dispensed justice on those who abused their power. Already they had murdered a southern lord who had taken young women against their wills and a northern merchant who had conned an entire village out of their savings. Word of the Black Fang had spread like wildfire through Bern, and citizens had begun to praise the guild, cursing the nobility with the promise that the Black Fang would visit in the night.

And now, Lloyd Reed, the eldest son of the Black Fang's leader, stood before me, offering to escort me to Sir Ordin's house.

I stared at him for a second before turning around and continuing on my way.

"Wait!" cried Melanie. "Nora!"

I didn't break my stride in the slightest as I said, "If you make me late for dinner, I will tell Lyle that you're having an affair with the butcher's son."

That stopped Melanie from following me. "What? How did you—?"

Ignoring her spluttering words, I headed down the street. To my horror, a few seconds later Lloyd had caught up with me.

"I don't need an escort," I said.

"Someone has a bad habit of spying, I see," said Lloyd, completely ignoring my comment.

"I wasn't spying," I said, increasing my pace. "I just happened to overhear them talking while washing ink pots out back."

"If you say so." With his long legs, Lloyd easily matched my pace.

"You don't need to come with me," I said. "I'm fine on my own."

"Humor me."

"No."

He looked surprised for a second, but then a smile spread across his face. "So what are you delivering?"

I glared at him. "A map."

"A map?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"Bern."

"That's all?" He seemed unimpressed.

"My parents are cartographers," I said. "They travel all over Elibe, drawing sketches for maps. Then, they come home and drop off the sketches for my aunt and me to recreate and sell. Sir Ordin requested a specific Bernese pattern around the edge of a map that he could use for decorative purposes." I closed my mouth. I hated talking so much, but I hoped if I gave him the information he wanted, he would stop asking questions and leave me alone.

However, I had no such luck. Lloyd listened to me attentively, and then asked, "So you help make the maps?"

"I make the ink," I said. "And do deliveries."

"Will you take over the business after your aunt?"

I frowned. I hadn't ever thought about what I would do in the future. Every day was just a repetition of the previous day, making maps, delivering them, and hoping my parents would come home soon. Take over the business after my aunt? I didn't exactly enjoy making the maps. Sure, geography was interesting, but I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in that cramped shop where the only interesting thing to do was eavesdrop on the neighbors.

"No," I said. "I want to travel. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Trunnel without even leaving the city."

Lloyd was genuinely surprised. "Your parents have never taken you with them?"

Well, that one stung. I looked away so he couldn't see the pain in my expression. "No."

"Actually," said Lloyd. "The farthest I've ever been outside of Bern is Lycia. My father went to Nabata a few years ago, but he refused to take my brother Linus and me because we needed to _focus on our studies_." Lloyd laughed. "You've never met Linus, of course, but trying to make him focus on his studies is as easy as taming a wyvern."

I kept my mouth shut. Maybe if I said nothing, he'd get the idea and leave.

"I've always wanted to visit the Western Isles," said Lloyd thoughtfully.

"Isn't that a lawless land where pirates rules?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well, yes," said Lloyd. "But that's what makes it so interesting. I've always wanted to see if I could hold my own there."

I turned my head so I could look at him properly. There was something about his smile that filled me with conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted him to fulfill his dreams and succeeded in the Western Isles, but another part of me was horrified at the idea of him living on the other side of the continent. I shook my head and said, "You wouldn't last two minutes in the Western Isles."

"Merciless," said Lloyd, though he didn't seem offended by my words. "And I've been working so hard to master the sword."

I glanced at the blade strapped to his side. "Are you any good?"

"I can defeat my brother in a bout nine-times-out-of-ten," said Lloyd after some consideration.

"That's not saying much."

"He adapted his fighting style from the heavy-hitting Lycians," continued Lloyd. "Whereas I learned from the swift and deadly Sacaean myrmidons."

"You learned from a Sacaean?" I asked, surprised. Sacaeans weren't thought well of in Bern, or anywhere else in Elibe for that matter. According to my parents, people disapproved of the Sacaeans' nomadic lifestyle, seeing it as barbaric and uncivilized.

"Yes." Lloyd placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "It's a beautiful form of art. You should see me and my brother fight some time."

"I've been to the arena before," I said.

"And what do you think?"

"Dull."

Lloyd laughed. "Why do you say that?"

"There's no intellect involved. It's just two people whacking at one another with blades until one of them surrenders."

"You're not looking at it correctly," said Lloyd. "There are tactics to one-on-one combat just as there are tactics to war. There are different moves to take down different opponents. For example, I wouldn't use the same move on a swordsman as I would on a paladin. You also have to predict and defend against your opponent's attacks while simultaneously trying to land your own blows. But all of this strategizing happens so quickly that the untrained eye cannot see the intelligence behind one-on-one combat and ends up calling it 'dull'."

He grinned and it took me a heartbeat to realize that he had just insulted me.

"You should come see Linus and me fight some time," said Lloyd. "I'll teach you how to appreciate the arena."

"We'll see," I said. As someone who had always enjoyed tactical board games, I was curious to learn about the combat Lloyd described.

We reached Sir Ordin's house and I left Lloyd waiting outside the gates as I headed in to deliver the map. Ordin was pleased with the design and he praised Aunt Lerone highly for several minutes before letting me leave. When I stepped back out onto the street, I spotted Lloyd leaning against the stone wall across the street, his eyes half-closed.

For a second, I considered slipping away and heading back without him. I managed to get one step in the direction of home before I realized that I didn't want to leave. I enjoyed Lloyd's company—actually enjoyed it. I used to be able to count on my fingers the amount of people whose company I actually sought out: my mother, my father, the bookseller and his daughter who played chess with me, the patrol man who had saved me from robbers one night, the Pegasus knight from Ilia who liked to tell stories when drunk, the baker who gave me free bread, and the three gamblers on Hara Street who were always willing to let me play a hand. Lloyd Reed was the eleventh person. As of meeting him, I could no longer hold up ten fingers and say that's the number of people I liked. Eleven. What a strange number.

I crossed the street. Lloyd's eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching footsteps, but he remained calm when he saw that it was just me.

I stopped in front of him and asked, "Why did you volunteer to escort me?"

Lloyd's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Why did you volunteer to escort me?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Answer."

He smiled. "I thought you were cute."

"Answer honestly."

"Is that so hard to believe?"

I folded my arms over my chest.

"All right," said Lloyd. "I have a hero complex and I had to keep a damsel like you safe from all the ruffians who lurk in the streets of Trunnel."

I snorted. "You're an idiot."

He laughed and pushed off the wall so that he stood upright, towering over me. "I thought you were interesting, so I wanted to spend time with you. Is that a problem?"

We stared at one another, my dark eyes to his hazel ones. Then, I said, "My name is Nora Everett. I think most people are annoying and petty. I get grouchy when I'm hungry and I hate to lose. I think the Black Fang is pretentious in their desire to 'save the common folk', but I think their actions have merit." I paused and then added, "I probably have abandonment issues."

Lloyd blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"If we're going to be friends, you should at least know what you're getting into," I said, turning away and starting back in the direction of home.

I didn't see his reaction, but after a moment, I heard footsteps and then Lloyd was walking next to me again.

"I can't stand disloyal people," said Lloyd. "I have a strong competitive streak, always testing myself to see how strong I can become. I believe in family above all else, and I fully support the Black Fang. Bern's nobility has been allowed to do whatever they please for too long, filling our country with corruption and suffering. Even if its murder, the Black Fang does what it can to protect those who cannot defend themselves." He paused and then added, "Also, I probably have a brother complex."

* * *

"Nora?"

The door to the shop opened and Aunt Lerone stepped inside. She took one look at me, dressed in a long, white gown, squatting next to a chessboard, and she let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Thankfully, the groom can't see you right now or he'll want to cancel the wedding."

I glanced across the board at my opponent, a young man with long, silver hair and a scar across his face. I'd met Legault, the Hurricane of the Black Fang, a few months ago when Lloyd had first introduced me to his father. Somehow, Legault and I had discovered our mutual love of tactical games and we'd ended up having a match whenever he was in the area—which, this time, just so happened to be morning of my wedding.

"We still have half an hour before I have to meet Lloyd at the temple," I said, before moving a rook to take out one of Legault's pawns.

"Shit," muttered Legault as he realized what I was trying to do.

"Nora," said Aunt Lerone. "Must you do this?"

Legault moved his bishop, so I slid a pawn forward a space, causing Legault to curse again.

"You should really surrender the game, Nora," said Legault. "I would hate for Lloyd to cancel the marriage because you're playing chess in your wedding gown."

I grinned. "Your move."

"I can't move," said Legault. "You're going to win next turn no matter what."

"I know. So take your turn so I can win and Aunt Lerone can quit her nagging."

Reluctantly, Legault moved his king piece one space to the left, and then I moved my queen, putting him in checkmate.

"I remember the early days when I could still win," said Legault, getting to his feet with a sigh. "You learn quickly."

"I've been playing with Brendan and Lloyd, while you've been off on missions," I said.

"Of course," muttered Legault.

"Well, you've won," snapped Aunt Lerone. "Now may we head for the temple?"

"Are you worried that Lloyd will refuse to marry me?" I asked.

"I'm still amazed that anyone would ask you to marry him," said Aunt Lerone, handing me a green cloak. "So, yes, I'm worried."

She stormed out the shop, leaving me to follow. I exchanged glances with Legault and he struggled to hold back a smile.

"She's quite the charmer," said Legault. "I see where you get your personality from."

I scowled at him as I fasted my cloak around my shoulders. Then, I headed out the front entrance of the shop where a cart was waiting for us. Aunt Lerone locked up after Legault and me, and soon were on our way to the temple where I would stand before a priest of St. Elimine and promise to spend the rest of my life with Lloyd Reed.

The thought didn't terrify me as much as it did when he first asked me to marry him. Over the past couple months, I'd come to realize that I probably liked Lloyd more than I would ever like anyone else so not marrying him would be a waste. I mean, I liked Legault and Linus and Brendan, I even liked my aunt to some extent, but there were limits to my liking of them. Lloyd, on the other hand, never ceased to interest me.

He challenged me—he'd introduced me to new people despite my reluctance, he'd helped me understand the Black Fang's intentions since I initially disapproved, and he'd encouraged me to learn battle tactics when I expressed an interest.

He'd been the one to mention love first. Six months after our friendship began, he told me that he probably loved me. I'd fled at the use of the word, but he followed and told me repeatedly that love wouldn't hurt me. After a month of his persistence, I gave in and decided to try out this new emotion. And now we were getting married. That sly bastard.

The cart came to a halt outside the three-story stone temple. The columns in the front loomed overhead, reminding me that I was about to enter a holy agreement. Legault led the way up the gray steps to the wooden doors of the temple. They opened before Legault could touch them and Linus stood in the entryway, dressed in his usual black cloak and travel-worn boots, his brown hair slicked back.

"So you've finally arrived, sister-in-law," said Linus, grinning.

"My apologies, I was delivering a crushing defeat to the Hurricane of the Black Fang."

Linus glanced over at Legault, who was avoiding eye contact. Linus shook his head. "You bring shame upon us, Legault."

"Where's the groom?" asked Aunt Lerone, pushing past Linus and entering the temple. "Tell me he hasn't fled."

"He's talking to the priest," said Brendan, stepping past his youngest son to see me. "He'll be here in a minute."

I smiled up at the gray-haired brute of a man. Brendan Reed looked exactly how I pictured to leader of the Black Fang to look—tall, intimidating, and covered in scars. Rather than wear the traditional velvet and fur Bernese garments, Brendan was dressed in armor, ready for battle.

"Jan, Uhai, and Igor told me to pass on their congratulations and condolences," said Brendan. He sent a pitying glance in my direction—after all, what kind of groom planned to depart for battle right after the ceremony?

"Damn Lord Arey," said Linus. "We spent months planning this wedding and now all the guests are away preparing to defend the keep from his army."

I raised my eyebrows. "Did you think I wanted a large wedding?"

Linus laughed. "You probably hired Lord Arey to attack our guild so no one could come today." His smile faded, and he stared at me suspiciously. "You didn't, did you?"

"No."

"So there's just the four of us?" asked Aunt Lerone, looking mortified. "I should have invited Melanie and Lyle if that were the case."

"Thank you for not inviting them," said Legault, who had the misfortune of meeting Melanie on a few occasions.

I sighed. "She claims to be a matchmaker now, since Lloyd and I met when he saved me from her."

Brendan threw back his head and laughed. "Tell me she hasn't gone into the business."

"Lyle convinced her not to," I said.

"Are we talking about Melanie?" Lloyd appeared in the doorway with the silver-haired priest beside him. Lloyd glanced at my white gown, taking in everything from my ash-brown hair that Aunt Lerone had spent hours getting to stay in place with silver pins to the puffy material that emphasized my non-existent hips. He smiled. "You dressed up for me? I'm flattered."

Lloyd was dressed in a long, black coat with the usual leather buckles and red sash wrapped around his waist. His hair was still a mess in the front and he hadn't shaved the stubble from his jaw.

So there he was, my future husband, looking ready for a battle rather than a wedding. Our lives as husband and wife wouldn't start until he returned from south Bern—if he returned at all.

Lloyd caught me looking and, smirking, asked, "What do you think?"

I shrugged. "You'll do."

"Shall we start this wedding then?" asked Brendan. "Arey's forces are only a day away from the keep."

Brendan, Linus, Legault, Aunt Lerone, and the priest went in ahead of us. Lloyd glanced down at me before offering his arm, but he stopped when he saw the frown on my face.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked, his voice betraying the slightest hint of worry.

"Don't die." I lifted my gaze to meet his. "I see your vision of a Bern where the nobles care for the populace, a Bern where assassins are no longer needed. What you want, I want too, and I'm glad you give so much of yourself to the Fang. However, I have that one selfish request of you."

"Don't die?" repeated Lloyd. "I don't plan to."

"I told you," I said. "Before we became friends, I told you what you were getting yourself involved in. I told you that I have abandonment issues."

Lloyd's jaw tightened. "Your parents probably didn't get the message about our wedding. It got lost on its way to Etruria. That's why they haven't come."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm fine. It's only you. You're the only one not allowed to abandon me. If you die, I will bring you back so I can kill you again in the most painful, brutal way I can imagine."

A smile flickered across his face, and before I realized what he was doing, Lloyd kissed me. Soft and careful, his lips touched mine. But just as I started to immerse myself in the moment, to enjoy the surprise, he pulled away and said, "Let's get married."

"Well, of course," I muttered. "That's why I'm in this impractical dress."

* * *

I had never hated anyone in my life as much as I hated Sonia Reed. From the first day that Brendan brought her to our home in Rian and introduced her to us to the day of their wedding, I hated that woman. At first, it was just jealousy—she was a beautiful woman with a bust to die for and a body that caused men to salivate—but the more time I spent in her presence, the more I began to loathe her. I watched the man that I admired, Brendan, the unbending and resolute leader of the Black Fang, became clay in her hands. Everything she wanted, he gave her. He didn't seem to understand that Sonia could be wrong. He even threatened his faithful servant, Jan, when Jan suggested that Sonia's idea for the assassination of the violent Lord Gausman was ill-planned.

Lloyd and Linus, while they weren't ensnared by Sonia, refused to admit she was a danger. Their father had been miserable after their mother's death, Lloyd had explained, and only by throwing all his efforts into the Black Fang had Brendan been able to regain himself. Even if they didn't particularly like Sonia, the brothers were willing to tolerate her if it made their father happy.

"She's arrogant and unsociable, I agree," said Lloyd. "But if I disliked people based on those qualities, we would never have gotten married."

I glared at him across the kitchen. Linus, Brendan, Sonia, and Sonia's daughter Nino were visiting us in Rian for our monthly dinner as a family. I had cooked a traditional Bernese steak and nut dish, and as I put the finishing touches on the food, Lloyd and I were arguing in the kitchen.

"There are different types of unsociability," I said. "Sonia is unnatural."

"Unnatural?" asked Lloyd, nicking a bread roll from the basket.

I glared at him until, smiling, he put the bread roll back where it came from.

"She gets this look in her eyes when she thinks no one is looking," I said, unsure of how to explain it. "It frightens me. I don't like it."

Lloyd frowned. "Does she bother you so much?"

"Yes."

He moved across the kitchen to wrap his arms around my waist and rest his chin on top of my head. "But nothing frightens you."

"Don't be an idiot."

Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew Lloyd was smiling.

"Are you going to let go of me?" I asked. "Your family's waiting in the dining room. Linus will tear down the house if we don't feed him soon."

Lloyd sighed as he released me. "You know I can't do anything about Sonia. She's married to my father."

"I know." I picked up the tray of meat and nodded at Lloyd to get the other two plates. "Just be wary of her."

We carried the food down the hallway to the dining room where the rest of the Reed family sat around our wooden table. Brendan was at the head, of course, with Sonia at his right, Linus on his left, and Nino beside Sonia. Brendan was guffawing at something Sonia had said, his dark eyes glowing with delight. Sonia's red lips were curled into a smirk as she learned forward, showing an unnecessary amount of her bust. Nino was smiling at her plate, her bright green hair falling into her eyes. Linus kept shifting about in his seat uncomfortably, refusing to make eye contact with anybody.

A look of relief flashed across his face when he looked up and saw us in the doorway. "What have you prepared for us tonight, sister-in-law?"

I placed the tray in the center of the table before settling in my seat next to Linus. Lloyd set the other plates down before sitting at the end of the table, opposite his father.

"It looks delicious, Nora." Brendan picked up his knife and fork, ready to dig in.

"It looks rather dry," said Sonia, peering down at the steaks.

I scowled. "A guest shouldn't say such things."

"But we're all family here," said Sonia, smiling just enough to reveal her white teeth. "A family should be honest, don't you agree?"

"You're right," said Brendan as he transported one of the steaks to his plate. "It is rather dry."

Lloyd and I exchanged glances across the table. I tried not to be condescending, but well, Sonia's influence was clearly present.

"I don't think it's dry," said Nino, cutting open the steak on her plate.

"Well," said Sonia. "Some people have more sophisticated pallets."

I debated throwing my knife at Sonia. If I was lucky, the blade would find her heart, and I could tell Brendan that the knife had slipped through my fingers. Unfortunately, I had more self-restraint than that.

"The meat's done well," said Lloyd taking a bite.

"You have to say so," said Nino with a giggle. "Or Nora will cut off all your hair while you sleep."

Lloyd turned to me. "What have you been telling her?"

I smiled, but didn't say a word. My eyes flickered down the table. Nino and Linus began speculating what Lloyd would look like without any hair, which frustrated Lloyd to no end, since he was proud of the blond mess atop his head. Brendan was looking at his two sons with clear fondness in his eyes. And Sonia… I shivered. She had that look again. Something in her golden eyes seemed almost…hungry. Like she was only biding her time until she could devour each and every one of us.

Her eyes snapped to mine and we stared at one another across the wooden table. Her lips pulled back into a sneer as I held her gaze. But a second later, as Brendan turned to ask her a question, Sonia had slipped the seductive smile back in place.

The rest of the meal went by as it usually did, Lloyd and Linus teasing one another while Nino watched them with a look of pure delight on her face. I quietly at my meal, listening to the brothers and occasionally offering a comment, but for the most part content to let them do all the talking. Sonia held Brendan's attention for the majority of the meal. I didn't know what she was saying to him, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. I felt sick to my stomach just watching. What had happened to the noble man I had once known?

After dinner, Nino and I headed to the kitchen to wash dishes while the others went to the sitting room to talk about the Black Fang's next move.

"You're cooking's really good," said Nino as we placed the plates and wares on the wooden counter.

"Thanks."

"Lloyd and Linus were really lively tonight." Nino grinned. "Always talking about who would win in a fight."

"Lloyd," I said without hesitation.

"I've seen Linus fight in the arena once," said Nino. "He's really strong."

I shook my head, smiling. "Lloyd is faster."

"You've seen him fight, then?"

"I've seen them fight each other, though that was almost three years ago."

Nino's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Lloyd wanted to show me his Sacaean fighting style." I leaned back against the counter. "His form is stunning."

"It must be, for you to praise it," said Nino. "Normally you don't compliment anyone."

I laughed. "You're a good kid, Nino."

She let out an exaggerated gasp. "Two compliments in one evening. What have you done with my big sister, Nora?"

I glanced over at the pile of dishes on the counter and sighed. "Do you mind fetching some water from the pump?"

"Not at all," said Nino. She grabbed the basin from counter and headed for the back door.

Not long after I heard the wooden door slam closed behind her, a sickly sweet voice filled the kitchen. "My daughter likes you very much."

Sonia stood in the doorway, towering over me in her black heels.

"Yes." Settling on a wooden stool, I picked up the first plate and used a metal knife to scrape the leftovers into the scraps bucket.

Sonia stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. "You don't like me, do you, Nora?"

I didn't see any point in answering the obvious.

"You've been telling Lloyd not to trust me, haven't you?"

I stopped scraping the plate. My grip on the knife was becoming painfully tight. "What do you want, Sonia?"

"Nothing," she said airily. "I just don't like humans like you."

Without another word, she turned and left the kitchen. I sat on the stool, still holding the knife and dirty plate over the scraps bucket. The dish were shaking. I blinked. No, it wasn't the dish—my hands were shaking. I set the plate and knife back down on the counter and placed my hands on my knees.

"Nora?" Nino had returned from the water pump. She hoisted the basin of water up onto the counter before turning to stare at me. "Are you feeling all right?"

I picked up the next plate and started scraping off the leftovers. With a little laugh, I said, "Your mother is a scary woman."

"Yes, I know," said Nino. "People she doesn't like tend to end up dead."

And then she looked at me. A long, sad look filled with meaning.

* * *

Ten days passed without incident, but I could feel Sonia's golden eyes on me everywhere I went. I couldn't explain how I knew that she was planning to kill me—Sonia's stares, my conversation with Nino, my gut instinct, all of it added together and I knew, just knew, that she'd had enough of me.

I suspected that she wouldn't do anything while Lloyd was in the house. After all, if she wanted to keep Brendan at her side, she couldn't have Lloyd or Linus openly against her. No matter how obsessed Brendan was with Sonia, he didn't put her above his sons. So, I spent those ten days attached to Lloyd's side, keeping a careful eye on Sonia and telling no one about the rucksack of food, clothing, and maps that was hidden under the floorboards in my bedroom.

I thought about telling Lloyd that Sonia planned to kill me. Lloyd had always been reluctant to listen to my rants about Sonia; he didn't want to believe that his step-mother was a vile seductress, and well, I couldn't entirely blame him for that wish. Telling Lloyd might also put him in danger, I realized. Sonia wanted to kill me because I kept voicing my suspicions. If Lloyd started to question her motives, his use to her alive might end up being less than his use to her dead.

In the end, however, the Black Fang had a mission dealing with some bandits in the southernmost mountain range of Bern. Brendan and his sons packed up their belongings, saddled their horses, and prepared to leave for a couple months.

"Sorry for leaving you behind," said Lloyd, tying his red sash around his waist.

"You could bring me with you," I said, glancing towards the door, hoping Sonia wasn't on the other side. "Traveling with the Black Fang is always…interesting."

Lloyd smiled. "Don't lie. There's always too many people traveling with the Black Fang."

"But I like discussing tactics with your father," I said.

"I know." Lloyd grabbed his bag from the bed and slung it over his left shoulder. "I'll bring you next time."

I stared at him. Over the years, Lloyd had lost the last of his baby fat. His body was all toned muscle and sharp edges. Of course, even though he was twenty-two now, Lloyd still had the same unkempt appearance as when we first met.

I should tell him, I thought. I should tell him about Sonia.

But the idea of her killing him—her magic striking him when he least expected it, his body pierced by the ice of her fimbulvetr spell—sent shivers of misery through me. I couldn't lose him. The rest of the world could die on the end of a sword for all I cared, but not Lloyd. Not Lloyd.

I crossed the room and stepped into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Promise me that you won't die."

Lloyd chuckled. "After all this time, you're still worried about that?" He kissed the top of my head. "I won't abandon you, Nora. I promise."

I closed my eyes and didn't say a word. Just hold onto him, that was all I could do. Hold on and hope that this warmth never left.

"Nora," murmured Lloyd. "I have to go."

"I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too. I'll return. I'll come back and hold you like this again, so wait for me, all right?"

Finally, I released him and stepped away. "Go."

Sighing dramatically, Lloyd ran his fingers through his hair and said, "One moment she can't let go of me, then next she's turned cold as ice and tells me to go so bluntly."

I glared at him.

"I'm going." With one last kiss, Lloyd headed out the door, leaving me alone in the house.

Two nights. That's how long I stayed in that house alone, each night spent under the wooden bed, clutching a kitchen knife and my rucksack, waiting for a sign, anything, that Sonia had come for me.

I should've told Lloyd, I realized, on the third night. He'd rather I told him—even if it meant putting his life in danger—than have me curled up under the bed like this. He fought battles and assassinated lords on a regular basis; what was one more mage trying to kill him going to do? Nothing. I should've told him.

I buried my face in my hands and listened to wind howl down the streets of Rian. There was nothing I could do now. I couldn't change the past. Regret would do me no good.

Footsteps sounded in the hall outside my bedroom, and I held my breath. So I'd been right. She had finally come. The door opened and a mercenary's boots appeared in my line of sight. I crouched under the bed, watching and waiting for an opportunity to run.

_I'm sorry, Lloyd._

"She's not here," said a man gruffly.

"She must be." Sonia stood in the doorway, the sound of her smooth voice filling the room.

"She could be visiting a friend," said the man.

Sonia scoffed. "I told you, Beyard. She doesn't have friends, and her family left her in Bern without a care for her well-being. Lloyd Reed married her because he couldn't bear to leave such a pitiful person alone."

_Bitch_, I thought viciously. _I'll kill you one day. No matter what it takes, I'll kill you_.

"Come," said Sonia. "We'll check the other rooms."

I watched as the man's boots and Sonia's heeled shoes left through the door of the bedroom and headed down the hallway. Seconds after they were out of sight, I slid out from under the bed and, clutching my rucksack and knife, headed for the window. I vaulted up onto the sill and pushed open the shutters. A blast of bitter wind hit my face, making me gasp in shock and pain.

"Did you hear that?" asked Sonia.

Heavy footsteps sounded down the hall and I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see a blond, bearded mercenary in a red cape and heavy armor.

_I'm sorry, Lloyd_.

I jumped out of the window and landed on the patch of grass below. There were voices behind me, but I refused to look back. I sprinted to the right, taking the alleyways between houses, heading north, always heading north. The wind slapped my cheeks and my hair was tugged out of its ponytail. The moon was hidden behind a cloud, the darkness obscuring my vision. My feet stumbled over roots and rocks, sending me crashing to me knees several times. I kept running, though, never ceasing, always wondering how close Sonia was to catching me.

I reached the city limits and continued running to the base of the Bernese Mountains. If I kept heading north, I could climb the mountains and descend into Sacae. I didn't know how determined Sonia was to kill me, but I didn't think Sacae was far enough. I could head to Etruria after that and maybe to the Western Isles after that—Lloyd had always wanted to go there.

Pain flooded my chest and I almost tripped as images of my husband filled my mind. _Lloyd—_

A tree, several feet away, exploded in a burst of flame.

Swallowing a scream, I dove behind a rock.

"Nora." Sonia's sweet voice could be heard over the roar of the wind. "Nora, Nora. Why are you running from your mother? Brendan would be disappointed in you."

I kept my mouth shut.

"You brought this on yourself, Nora."

I wouldn't say a word. My life depending on this hiding spot.

"You're leaving Bern, aren't you?" Sonia laughed. "What will dear Lloyd think? His wife has run off. What should I tell him? You fell in love with another man and eloped?"

I bit back a bitter laugh. Like Lloyd would ever believe that story. I hated talking to strangers more than anything in the world.

Sonia seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because she said, "No, no. Maybe I could tell him it was in your blood. Your parents ran off, didn't they? Kept running and running to different countries, never staying home to look after their daughter. Like parent, like child, I suppose."

No. I wasn't anything like my parents.

"He'll come to hate you, I suspect," said Sonia. "Your precious Lloyd will never forgive you."

She was right. If there was one thing Lloyd valued above all else, it was loyalty. He could never forgive a wife who left him while his back was turned, no matter the reason why.

Salty tears had started to drip down my cheeks. I held my breath, refusing to give in to the sobs. Crying would definitely give away my position.

"Come out, Nora," said Sonia. "If you die here, tonight, I'll tell Lloyd you died loving him. I'll tell him that the Black Fang's enemies came to kill you as revenge for the death of their lord. Come out, and you can die still loved by him."

_I'm sorry, Lloyd_. _You made a mistake. You may have promised that you would never abandon me, but you forgot to make me promise I would never abandon you_.

Keeping my head down, I stepped away from the rock and started to head towards the mountains. The darkness kept me hidden from Sonia's sight. I left her and her cruel words behind and headed to Sacae.


	10. In Which Matthew Steals From The Dead

**Chapter Ten: In Which Matthew Steals From The Dead**

_**Lyn—Chapter 7x: The Black Shadow**_

We caught up with the Black Fang only because they had stopped to rest for the night. We found them in an abandoned castle to the southwest of Khathelet. Wil and Florina took out the sentries, allowing us to slip inside the stone fortress unnoticed. We entered the front hall, and with Matthew, who had the best eyesight, in the lead, we headed down the corridor.

I didn't know how many enemies we were up against, I could only hope is was a reasonable number. The Black Fang was fleeing Khathelet, so I could only assume they didn't have enough men to take us head on.

"Up ahead," murmured Matthew. "There's a soldier."

Squinting through the darkness, the rest of us spotted a tall, thin man holding a lance. He caught sight of us and, alarmed, he stepped into a side room, disappearing from our view.

"Drat!" cried Kent.

We hurried down the hallway, until we came across a molding, wooden door.

"I believe he went in here," said Lyn.

I stared at the door, hoping that we weren't going to stumble across a swarm of Black Fang assassins—or, even worse, someone who would recognize me.

Nils gulped. "Milady, are you really going in there to get the ring back?"

"Yes," said Lyn, with more confidence than I felt. "We are."

"But this is their stronghold!" cried Nils. "They're bound to be well defended, not to mention well armed!"

"We made it this far without much resistance," pointed out Lyn.

"Please forget about the ring," said Ninian. "It's all right."

Lyn shook her head. "Nora's agreed to attempt this recovery. I wouldn't be here if not for that. Nora believes we can do this, and I'm sure that decision was not made lightly. With her at my side, I'm confident we can win. Let's get your ring back, Ninian."

Lyn's unwavering faith in me sent a dagger of guilt through my chest. No, this decision was not made lightly. This decision was made with the willingness to risk all their lives in order to find out more about this new Black Fang. I wasn't doing this for Lyn or Ninian. I was doing this for Lloyd.

"Milady Lyn," murmured Nils.

Ninian didn't say anything, but she glanced in my direction, clearly questioning my reliability.

Sain stepped forward and carefully pushed open the wooden door. He peered inside before stepping back and hissing, "Milady Lyndis! There are more of the foe inside than we thought."

My body turned to ice. No…had I really sacrificed all these people and possibly myself for some romantic idea of saving Lloyd? Was I some kind of idiot?

"This is their stronghold," said Lyn unperturbed. "It's imperative we move carefully."

She pushed open the door and, quietly, we slipped inside. The first chamber had two doors, one leading to a large hallway and the other leading to a series of smaller halls. I couldn't see any enemies from where we stood.

"There were more when I looked in," said Sain. "An axe-wielder, a soldier, a cavalier, two swordsmen…where did they go?"

"They must have moved to the back part of the halls in order to surprise us," I muttered. I hated not being able to see.

"Milady," said Kent. "This narrow corridor can be used to our advantage. If we draw the enemy through here, we can engage them in small numbers and remain relatively safe. If time is a concern, we can always rush them…if we do that, we'd better be sure we can win."

I scowled at Kent. "I'm the tactician here. Who are you trying to impress?"

His ears turned red and he quickly looked away.

Lyn shot Kent a sympathetic smile before asking me, "So, Nora the Tactician, what do you think? How we move forward is completely up to you."

"Hold on." I moved down the hallway, trying to see as much as I could of the battlefield. There was a crack in the wall at the far left side of the corridor, but a soldier was standing in the hallway outside. There were two hallways to the north, down the one on the left, I could see an axe-wielder, but there was only darkness down the one on the right. There was a room between the two hallways and a hole in the crumbling wall revealed a soldier and a mage having a conversation about what they missed most in Bern.

I winced before heading back to the troop.

"We'll split into groups," I said. "Florina and Kent will take the right hallway. Kent stay in the front and kill anything that comes at you. Florina, use your javelin. Lyn and Wil, you two take the left hallway. Lyn, you'll be in the lead and Wil can cover you. Eliminate all enemies. Sain, Lucius, Rath, Nils, and I will break through the damaged wall to the left and capture that room."

They nodded and started to move towards their respective places. Erk, Dorcas, and Serra remained behind, since I hadn't mentioned their names.

"Erk, I need you to deal with the mage and soldier inside the center room. Attack the soldier first—he won't be able to reach you through the wall. Killing the soldier will draw the mage's attention. You should be able to kill him too." I turned to Serra. "Stay with Erk until he kills the mage, heal him if necessary, then follow me into the room on the far left. Dorcas, you'll guard the rear. Make sure no one sneaks up behind us."

Having given my instructions, I hurried down the hallway towards the damaged wall. Lucius had killed the soldier with his lightening spells and now Sain and Rath were deciding who should destroy the wall.

"Nils, play a strengthening song for Sain," I said. "Then Sain should be able to break the wall in one blow. Then I want Rath to enter the room swiftly and shoot everything in sight. The rest of us will follow him in and kill whomever he's wounded."

According to plan, Nils played a few notes on his flute and, filled his strength, Sain slammed his lance into the wall. Pieces of debris fell to the ground, creating a hole wide enough for us to pass through. Rath went in first and fired, striking the only person in the room, an enemy archer. The archer managed to get off an arrow, which embedded itself in Rath's left thigh, before Sain charged into the room and drive his lance into the archer's throat.

"Oh, there's a chest," cried Matthew, slipping into the room behind me.

"What's in it?" I asked.

Matthew pulled out his lock picks and, in a matter of seconds, opened the lid. Staining his muscles, he picked up a heavy, flat-headed weapon.

"A hammer," he said. "We could give it to Dorcas…" He caught my eyes and grinned. "Or we could sell it for eight-hundred gold."

I snorted. "Do you even have to ask?"

Matthew gave the hammer to Sain, to put in the saddlebag. I glanced around the large room, which was mostly empty except for the open chest and the corpse of the archer. Matthew stood over the body and after a moment, cried, "The archer has a vulnerary on him."

"Really?" I moved next to Matthew, and sure enough, there was a gold-painted flask strapped to the archer's side. "Well," I said grimly. "Better put it to good use."

Matthew knelt down beside the archer and set about detaching the vulnerary from the bleeding corpse's belt.

"Must you?" asked Lucius, shuddering at the sight.

"A necessary evil," I said. "But this way we won't have to spend money to buy new vulneraries."

"Even if he's an enemy," murmured Nils. "It seems wrong to treat his body like that."

"Our lovely tactician thinks only for the good of the troop," said Sain. "She would not resort to such a crude, disrespectful task unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Actually," I said. "Matthew's the one doing the task. I just give the orders."

Rath was glaring at me from the other side of the room. I glared back for good measure. I wasn't sure what his issue was, but the taciturn nomad didn't like me very much. It was a shame, since I usually liked quiet people.

"Should we proceed?" asked Lucius, looking at the locked door on the far end of the hall.

"Not yet," I said. "We don't know what's on the other side. Wait here while I go check on the others—" I took two steps in the direction of the gap in the wall when there was a click on the far side of the room. I spun around just in time to see the door open, revealing an enemy thief on the other side.

"Sain!" I cried.

An axe-wielder charged in past the thief, but he was stopped by Sain who, after taking the brunt of the enemy's axe, finished him off with two quick jabs of the lance.

"Lucius, Rath!" I shouted. "The thief. Kill the thief!"

Rath fired the first shot, but the thief managed to dodge the arrow. The second one, however, embedded its head in the thief's stomach. Lucius rushed forward and muttered the incantation for a lightning spell. There was flash and the thief lay face down on the ground, burnt and dead.

"Sain, is there anyone else in the hallway?" I asked.

Sain urged his horse forward, riding over the thief's body, and checked the corridor on the other side of the door. "No one. There are two rooms at each end of the hall. Do we proceed?"

I shook my head, thinking hard. That had been a close one. The axe-wielder had gone straight for Nils. If Sain hadn't been in the way, the boy could've died. I shuddered. Not long ago, I had been willing to sacrifice everyone in the troop in order to find out what I could about the Black Fang, but here I was terrified of Nils dying.

"Yoo-hoo!" A pink-haired cleric stepped in through the hole in the wall on the other side of the room. "Does anyone need some of my super special healing magic?" Serra glanced around the room, taking in Rath and Sain's injuries before saying, "I guess it's your lucky day."

Clutching her healing staff, Serra moved to Rath first. She muttered the incantation and I watched as Rath's arrow wound helped and his strength returned. Dorcas followed her through the gap, his face grim.

"Did Erk deal with the mage and the soldier?" I asked.

"Oh yes," said Serra. "With a little help from this angel. Another soldier entered the room from the stairs and Erk had to deal with him too. I was heading here when Lyn was stabbed by a swordsman, so my healing talents were needed there as well. But I'm here now, my dear sour-faced tactician, there's no need to worry about your beautiful cleric."

"But they're all right?" I asked.

"Yes, yes," said Serra, moving forward to heal Sain. "Kent and Florina killed a cavalier and a swordsman, while Wil and Lyn dealt with the axe-wielder and another swo—"

"Nora!" cried Sain. "A mage and a shaman are approaching from the left!"

"Get back, Sain," I shouted. "Let Lucius take care of the mages."

Sain pulled out his javelin, just in case, but retreated while Lucius advanced to the doorway. Serra healed Sain while Lucius fought first the shaman, taking no damage from the flux spells, and then the mage, whose fire spell burned Lucius' left shoulder.

"Shall I check them for valuables?" asked Matthew.

"No one else is coming?" I asked.

"The hallway's clear," said Lucius.

I nodded and Matthew slipped into the hallway to check the charred corpses of the mage and shaman. Lucius looked away from the sight, his face pale.

"Anything?" I asked.

"No." Matthew straightened up, his head turned to the right as he spotted something down the hallway.

"What is it?" I asked. "Sain."

Urging his horse forward, Sain moved out into the hallway. He stopped, however, and an easy grin crossed his face. "Milady Lyndis, Kent."

Relieved that they were all right, I hurried into the hallway to see the rest of the troop, all in one piece.

"We've cleared the area," said Lyn.

"You should've seen it," cried Wil. "My arrows were deadly accurate!" His grin widened, and before I could stop him, he flung his arms around my shoulders in a hug. "I'm getting stronger thanks to you, Nora."

I stiffened.

"Wil," said Lyn, pulling the archer away from me. "Nora doesn't like to be hugged."

"We're still in the middle of a battle," I snapped. "Don't get distracted. We haven't even retrieved Ninian's ring yet."

Wil looked sheepish. "Sorry, Nora."

Guilt swept through me. Wil had only been excited. I shouldn't have been so blunt. Yes, we were in the middle of a battle, and no, he shouldn't hug me during a battle, but still, I should have encouraged his improvement rather than scold him like that.

However, it was too late for any apologies, and Dorcas was already asking, "Where do we go from here?"

I pointed down the left side of the hallway. "That's the only place left. Lyn, take Wil, Kent, and Erk, and deal with whoever's in that room. Matthew, go search the corpses on the right side of the area, see if they have anything of value. Dorcas and Sain, go with him."

I followed Lyn, Kent, Erk, and Wil down the hallway. Lyn entered the room first, saying, "So you're the leader."

"Erk and Wil," I said. "Attack him from a distance before Lyn deals the final blow."

As Erk and Wil entered the room, I heard a gruff voice say, "I mustn't fail…I cannot fail. The consequences are too—"

Wil's arrow stuck the target and the leader stopped talking. However, I had frozen at the sound of that voice. I recognized it. Even it'd been three months, I remembered that voice. As Erk released the force of his fire spell, I sprinted down the hallway, pushing my way past Kent to peer around the corner into the room. An arrow protruding from his right leg and his left arm burned, Beyard knelt on the stone floor, his dark eyes filled with fear and determination. The blond hair and beard, that heavy armor and red cloak. My hands tightened into fists. Beyard, that bastard. He was the mercenary who helped Sonia drive me from my home, had helped force me to leave Bern, had helped destroy my life. I hoped Lyn made his death slow and agonizing.

However, despite my wishes, Lyn didn't kill Beyard. She held the Mani Katti to his throat and said, "Give us the ring! And swear us this oath… You must promise to leave these two alone. If I have your vow, I'll spare your life."

Beyard's face was ashen. "Failure…means death…"

And then, to Lyn's horror and my disappointment, he lifted a vial that hung around his neck by a chain and drank the liquid from it. His eyes bulged out of their sockets as he coughed and spluttered.

"Poison." I stepped into the room, coming into Beyard's vision. His eyes widened at the sight of me, but by then, it was too late. The poison had taken hold, and in a matter of seconds, he collapsed to the ground, nerves still twitching.

"What?" cried Lyn. "Poison? He took his own life…"

I stared at his swollen, blackened face and felt nothing but contempt. Poison was too easy of a death for him.

"These are no common brigands we're dealing with," said Kent. "This man was trained by a well-organized group."

"What do they want with Nils and Ninian?" asked Lyn.

I glanced over at the siblings. Both of them were keeping their eyes downcast, saying nothing. Definitely suspicious. However, since I wasn't saying anything about the Black Fang and I wasn't telling Lyn that Matthew was a spy for House Ostia, I probably didn't have any right to force them into telling us the truth.

"Nils, Ninian," said Lyn. "Everything's going to be fine. As long as you're with us, you'll be safe."

Nils looked doubtful. "But…"

"You witnessed our victory, right?" said Lyn. "With Nora's planning and my sword, you've no worries. If we all work together, there's nothing we can't overcome. I don't care who comes after you; I'll not let you be taken."

A spark of hope appeared on Nils' face. "Really?"

"On my honor." Lyn turned to me and smiled encouragingly. "Right, Nora?"

"Ah, yes." I was lying. I knew I was lying. I'd sacrifice anyone if it meant saving Lloyd.

"Milady…" murmured Ninian.

"Oh yes." Lyn knelt down beside Beyard's body, and after searching the leather pouch attached to his belt, she pulled out a small, red ring. "This is yours, isn't it?"

Ninian's eyes widened as she accepted to ring from Lyn. "It's…"

"You called it Nini's Grace, did you not?" Lyn shot Beyard a disgusted look. "That lout had it."

"Milady Lyndis!" cried Nils. "Thank you so much!"

Tears welled up in Ninian's eyes. "I have no other words, save thank you."


	11. In Which I Don't Get To Use A Ballista

**Chapter Eleven: In Which I Don't Get To Use A Ballista**

_**Lyn—Chapter 8: Vortex of Strategy**_

We passed into Caelin territory some time around midday. The sun was shining and I was actually starting to get a tan from all this traveling. I didn't even know I could tan.

"What's wrong with your arm, Nora?" asked Wil, walking beside me on the dirt road.

"What?" I dropped my arm back to my side.

"You keep staring at your arm," said Wil. "Did something happen? Did you get bitten by a bug? I once got bitten by a pesky horsefly and my arm swelled up two twice its normal size and—"

"It not a bug bite," said Serra. "It's this awful sun. Poor Nora's getting burnt just like me. I hate the outdoors; it doesn't suit my fair complexion."

"Ah, yes," said Matthew. "That's why I see blotches on your face…"

"What?" gasped Serra, clasping her hands to her cheeks. "You lie!" She spun around and grabbed Erk by the arm. "Erk! Erk! Is there something wrong with my face? Has the sun ruined me?"

"It's not your face that's the problem," muttered Erk, pulling out of Serra's grasp.

"You mean…" said Serra slowly. "My face looks as it always has?"

"Yes," said Erk. "But your personality…"

"Matthew! You liar!" Serra slapped Matthew on the shoulder. "Don't make up lies about my beauty fading ever again!"

Matthew laughed and rubbed his shoulder, slowly inching out of Serra's reach.

Determined to avoid Serra's constant chatter, I sped up my walking pace so that I was next to Lyn and Florina. When she noticed me approaching, Lyn beamed and said, "Look, Nora! The mountains seem so far away now. We've come such a long way."

I glanced over my shoulder at the faint outline of the Bern Mountains. Somewhere at the base of that mountain range was my home in Rian.

"Milady Lyndis! Nora!" cried Sain, turning around in his saddle. "We can't be very far from the castle now!"

Kent nodded. "By my reckoning, we can reach Castle Caelin in two days if we hurry."

"Two more days…" murmured Lyn, a haunted expression crossing her face. "Hold on, Grandfather. Please…"

I grimaced—if I'd known that Lyn would be fretting over her grandfather's illness, I would've stayed at the back of the group. Better to listen to Serra's loud voice than have to try to comfort Lyn.

Thankfully, my services weren't needed. Florina said, with as much energy as she could mister, "Cheer up, Lyn. If they see you looking so sad, the entire company will lose heart."

"Florina…" Lyn managed a smile. "You're right. There's nothing to be gained by worrying. We just have to press onward."

"That's the spirit," said Florina.

For the first time, I wasn't frustrated by the androphobic pegasus knight and was actually glad she had joined our troop—after all, she had just saved me from having to come up with some encouraging words for Lyn. I smiled at Florina, a gestured that surprised her so much that she almost fell off her pegasus. By Eckesachs, I wasn't _that_ rude to her on a regular basis…was I?

"Lyn!" Nils came running up the dirt road, his face pale and his sister limping after him. "Danger approaches."

"What did you say?" asked Lyn, looking around wildly.

Sain's grip on the horse's reins tightened. "I don't see anything. Are you sure?"

"I feel it, too. I'm sure of it." Ninian's eyes suddenly widened. "Ah! Milady, don't move!"

"Hm?" Lyn stopped walking.

Ninian's warning couldn't have come sooner as a large arrow embedded itself in the ground just in front of where Lyn stood. The entire troop stopped walking and all eyes fixated on the arrow with its head buried in the dirt.

"What in—where did this bolt come from?" cried Lyn.

Kent steered his horse closer to the arrow, and after a moment, he said, "They have a ballista!"

Sain gritted his teeth. "Lord Lundgren is getting serious. Deploying siege engines is no mean feat."

"What's a ballista?" asked Lyn.

"It's a weapon designed for long-distance attacks," explained Kent. "Only archers can use them, but they can be devastating."

"Really?" I had heard of ballistas, a new type of war machinery, from my parents, but I'd never seen one before. It'd be interesting to see it in action…maybe Wil knew how to use one.

"Florina!" Sain called out. "You must stay aground. Do not take to the air. The ballista would target you in an instant."

My interest in the ballista vanished when I realized that we had a pegasus knight with us. Damn it. That was going to be a pain.

"Is there a way to combat it?" asked Lyn.

Kent frowned. "The safest course is to use someone with good defense as bait, so the enemy wastes arrows."

"Then you can walk up and knock the fool on the head," added Sain with a nasty grin.

I didn't like Kent's plan. If the archer wasted all the arrows, then I wouldn't get to see the ballista in action. Of course, the safety of our troop should be my priority, but well, it wasn't every day a girl got to see a ballista on the battlefield.

"Wil," Lyn called over his shoulder. "Can you use a ballista?"

Wil considered it for a moment. "I've never tried, but…it's just a really big bow, right? I should be able to figure it out."

Lyn turned to me. "You ready for this, Nora?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "We're going to have to fight no matter what."

"Ah, Lady Lyndis! Nora!" Matthew, being his usual sneaky self, materialized behind us. "I have some minor…business…to attend to. I'm unable to join you. If you need any of my possessions, take them now."

Lyn blinked. "What? Matthew? You're leaving us now?"

"Aw, is someone afraid of the ballista?" asked Wil, grinning.

Matthew just smiled back and said nothing.

My eyes narrowed. He was most likely attending to some Ostian business in a nearby village, but still, Matthew had rotten timing.

"I don't need anything of yours," I said. "Go."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," said Matthew, before running off in the opposite direction.

"Huh," said Serra. "How unreliable."

"There's a village to east," said Lyn, turning to me. "Should we warn them that there's a battle going on nearby?"

"I supposed so." I glanced over at the village saw that an enemy shaman and mage were keeping watch outside the wooden gates. After some deliberation, Lyn and Erk headed in the direction of the village, careful to stay low so that ballista wouldn't target them.

I examined the rest of the landscape. Descending from the mountains, we had the high ground with some uncrossable rocky terrain to the east and a river to the south. I spied twelve enemies south of the rough terrain—nothing we couldn't handle.

"Kent, Sain," I said. "The passage between two cliffs is narrow here, if the two of you form a line, the enemy won't be able to get through. You'll be in range of the ballista, so keep an eye out."

Taking out their lances, Kent and Sain maneuvered their horses into position. I kept Florina to the far side of the cliff, out of the ballista's reach and then had Wil, Rath, and Dorcas, with their long-range weapons, back up Kent and Sain. An archer, a swordsman, two cavaliers, and two soldiers were advancing from the south. Serra, Nils, and Lucius stayed back near me, where arrows couldn't touch them. Ninian promised to watch the ballista and warn us if there were any more arrows fired.

The cavaliers and swordsman arrived first. The swordsman accidentally entered Florina's reach and she stabbed him in the back with her javelin. Kent managed to dodge the first cavalier's attack and landed two quick blows with his lance. Rath's arrow finished off the enemy. The second cavalier managed to stab Sain, but Sain retaliated with a fatal lance through the chest. The cavalier tumbled backwards off his horse and lay, unmoving, in the grass.

The ballista sent another arrow in our direction, but with Ninian's warning, Wil managed to dodge it.

"That was a close one," said Wil, yanking the thick-shafted arrow out of the dirt. "It looks deadly."

"Look up," I snapped. "Soldiers!"

Just as the two spear-wielding soldiers approached us, another arrow flew from the ballista, this time catching Sain in the shoulder. He gasped in pain and grabbed the wound, watching in horror as blood poured over his fingers.

"Sain, pull back!" I shouted. "Let Serra heal you! Dorcas, take his place next to Kent!"

Barely managing to stay on his horse, Sain turned around and cantered out of the ballista's reach. Serra immediately started muttering healing spells, holding her staff over Sain's wound. Together, Lucius and Nils managed to pull the arrow out of Sain's shoulder and he groaned in pain.

"Hold still, you baby," said Serra.

Sain seemed like he'd be all right, so I turned my attention back to pass, where the soldiers were still attacking. Both Dorcas and Kent managed to avoid the lances, replying with strikes of their own. Rath and Wil were quick with their bows and two arrows sent the soldiers into the grass with their comrades.

"Look out!" cried Ninian.

Wil looked up just in time to see another arrow from the ballista flying towards him. With a yelp of surprise, he leapt backwards and the arrow landed in the ground where he had just been standing.

"Wah!" Wil gawked at the arrow. "They're really trying to kill me."

"It's a battle," I said. "What do you expect?"

Serra's healing spell had done the trick; Sain was sitting upright in his saddle again, rubbing his shoulder. There was nothing but a white scar to show where he'd been pierced by the arrow.

"You good?" I asked.

Sain grinned at me. "O fair and married one, were you concerned for my well-being? Were you worried that you would never see your brave, handsome knight again?"

"You're fine," I said. "Go join Kent on the front line. We're going to advance down the slope."

"Nora!"

Lyn and Erk were running across the grass, returning from the village. I turned just in time to see another ballista arrow soar through the air, aimed at Erk.

"Look out!" cried Ninian.

Erk turned at the last second and narrowly avoided being skewered by the bolt. He let out a gasp of surprise before straightening and hurrying after Lyn, throwing glances over his shoulder in case the ballista decided to target him again.

"The villagers gave us a lancereaver," said Lyn, holding up the sword specially designed to take down lances, for me to see.

I examined the jagged edge of the blade and then said, "I wish Matthew was here—he would know how much I could sell this thing for."

"Nora," groaned Lyn. "These villagers didn't give us this to sell."

"I took care of the mage and the shaman," said Erk quickly. "And Lyn killed the brigand who was trying to sack the village."

I nodded. "Good."

"Nora," said Lucius. "Soldiers are coming out of the southwest fort."

I rushed forward and peered down the hill, sure enough, two soldiers had emerged from the fort and were running up the hill towards us.

"The ballista must be out of arrows," said Kent. "Nothing's been fired at us in awhile."

"Hm…" If I were the person in the ballista, I would take a break from firing arrows to lure the enemy into a false sense of security. However, I didn't know the enemy, so I couldn't predict what they would do. "Nils," I said, finally. "Play for flute for Florina, something to make her faster. Florina, I want you to fly to the mountain range and see if the ballista is out of arrows. Kill the archer inside if you can, but don't do anything unnecessary."

Florina looked hesitant to fly over the mountains, but with Nils reassurances that his music would help her, she prepared to take off.

I listened to a few notes of Nils song before turning to face the rest of the troop. "We're going to move south, advance further into Caelin."

With Kent and Sain in the lead, we moved down the slope, pausing when we saw the two soldiers approaching. Rath and Wil killed the soldiers with two arrows each and our descendent continued. Florina joined us not long after, her iron lance bloodied and clutched in her right hand.

"The ballista's out of arrows," she said. "And I…killed the archer before…before he could see me." She glanced nervously in Wil's direction.

I allowed myself a moment to grieve the uselessness of the ballista—I wouldn't get to use it to today—before turning to face the remaining four opponents on the other side of the river.

"Yogi," said Sain with disgust. "He's one of Lundgren's men."

I stared at the moustached man in full body armor. So he was the one who had brought the ballista. He may have chosen to back the wrong side but at least he had good taste war machines.

"There's a swordsman and a soldier," said Kent. "I could easily overcome both of them with my lance…"

"Wait," I said. "Do you see the heavy head of the lance? And the jagged side of the sword?"

Kent squinted across the river. "Ah."

"What is it?" asked Serra loudly. "I don't see anything."

"The soldier has an axereaver and the swordsman has a lancereaver." I frowned. "And the brigand behind them has a swordreaver. What a pain." I turned back to the troop. "All right. "Lyn, I want you to draw the soldier and swordsman over here. Step into their line of sight."

Lyn had started to cross the bridge, the river water slapping against the rocky bank as she walked overhead, when the soldier noticed her. Calling out to the swordsman beside him, the two of them advanced on Lyn. The problem with using an axereaver, was that it made the weapom heavy and slow, so Lyn's swift footwork allowed her to dodge the lance and drive the Mani Katti through the soldier's chest.

The swordsman cried out in horror as his companion fell from the bridge into the rushing river. He charged at Lyn and drove his lancereaver through her stomach. Lyn gasped in pain, but she swung the Mani Katti—once, twice—and managed to cut the swordsman's head clean off.

"Serra," I said, unable to keep my eyes off the bleeding neck of the dead swordsman.

"Your angel is on it!" cried Serra as she hurried to Lyn's side to heal the wound.

"Florina," I said. "Fly around and deal with the brigand. Erk and Lucius, I want to you use your tomes on Yogi. He's slow, so your magic should be effective."

It all happened as planned. The brigand's swordreaver, with its hooked head, was too heavy to be any use against lances. Florina drove her slim lance through the brigand's chest and he fell to ground, choking on blood.

"Curses!" cried Yogi when he saw his dead brigand. "The ballista must have been taken… What's going on here?" He turned and caught sight of the approaching mage and monk. "Somebody, stop them!"

"Who?" I muttered under my breath. We'd killed everyone else.

Erk cast two fire spells, muttering the incantation and holding the tome tightly. Flames burst from his hand and struck Yogi. The enemy cried out in pain as the flames licked around him. Before Yogi had a chance to recover from Erk's magic, Lucius cast his lightning spell. Yogi gasped for air, struggling in his heavy armor, before collapsing.

"Lord Lundgren…I've failed you…" gasped Yogi. The life drained from his body and Yogi fell still, his dark eyes staring off into the distance.

"Is it over?" Lyn stood over Yogis body.

"Yes," said Kent. "I see no more enemy soldiers. However, something is bothering me."

Lyn started to wipe down the bloodstained blade of the Mani Katti. "What is it?"

"Our opponents…" Kent seemed to struggle with the words. "They were soldiers of Caelin. I even recognized some of those we fought. I trained with many of them… And yet they attacked us without hesitation."

I grimaced. There was nothing crueler than being betrayed by those closest to you.

Sain scowled. "They're black-hearted traitors who've joined Lord Lundgren. Good riddance, I say. It also means less resistance at the castle."

Kent was doubtful. "I hope your right…"

Lyn sheathed the Mani Katti and then ran a hand through her long, green hair. "I'm just glad Nils and Ninian were with us. If that first shot had hit me, I might not have survived."

"We are honored to have served you well," said Ninian.

"We won't let you down!" added Nils.

"I know." Lyn smiled down at the little boy. "I'm relying on you."

"What's this?" Running down the slope towards us was Matthew, his hair messy from the wind. "You dealt with the ballista, too? Nicely done!"

"So the deserter has returned," scoffed Wil.

"After the battle is done," added Sain.

Lyn shot the two of them warning glares before turning to the thief and asking, "Matthew, where were you during all this?"

"Did you check the corpses for anything of value?" I asked.

Matthew answered me first, "Yes, and there was nothing," before turning to Lyn and saying, "I went to the village to sniff about for information. I got some interesting news for my trouble, too."

"Let's hear it," said Lyn.

"First, about Marquess Caelin's illness. He really is unwell. He's been abed for nigh on three months."

Lyn's face turned white. "Oh no…grandfather…"

Matthew grimaced. "I heard an interesting rumor about his condition, though. The people believe that someone's been poisoning the marquess."

"He's being poisoned?" cried Lyn.

"And this someone…" Matthew hesitated. "Well, everyone's too afraid to mention a name. However, they say that, as soon as the marquess took ill, a certain noble took control of the castle as though it were his own. I fed a hungry innkeeper some coin, and he fed me a name. The marquess of Caelin's own brother, Lord Lundgren."

Lyn's fear gave way to anger. "How can this be? How can they allow him to get away with this? The villagers know he's the one poisoning my grandfather, and yet no one raises a hand against him? Why?"

"They are afraid, and they lack proof," said Kent, trying to quell Lyn's rage. "The whisperings of the common people mean nothing."

"That's the truth of it," said Matthew, nodding. "And of the marquess's loyal retainers who might have lent credence to these rumors, there is no sign."

"Are you saying they've been silenced?" Lyn looked mortified at the thought, as if she couldn't believe someone would murder for his own ambitions. How cute.

"It's a fair assumption." Matthew's face was grim.

"This is beyond believing," muttered Kent, gripping his horse's reins.

"The worst news is yet to come," said Matthew.

Sain started at this. "What? There's more?"

"An imposter's appeared, claiming to be the marquess's granddaughter. At least, that's the story Lundgren's telling to all who'll listen."

"What does that mean?" asked Lyn.

A shadow crossed Matthew's face as he explained, "It means that people are waiting for two traitorous knights and a baseborn child to appear and lay claim to Castle Caelin."

Ah, that was the big news. Lord Lundgren was smarter than I'd given him credit for.

"But…but that…it can't be!" spluttered Sain.

"Traitors? Us? Ridiculous!" cried Kent. His face had gone has red as his armor, rage building up at even the suggestion of him betraying Caelin.

Lyn was staring at the ground. "He says…I'm an imposter?"

"Don't you have anything that proves your lineage?" asked Matthew.

Lyn shook her head. "When my mother joined the Lorca, she brought nothing of Lycia with her."

"Milady, Marquess Araphen himself remarked at your resemblance to Lady Madelyn!" cried Sain. "Your face is your proof!"

Kent leaned forward in his saddle, burdened by the reality of the situation. "They'll say we found a look-alike somewhere. We're seen as betrayers of our knightly vows, our word means nothing."

Lyn looked from Sain to Kent, her lower lip trembling as she realized the truth that was before her—even if she reached Castle Caelin, she might not be saved from the clutches of Lord Ludgren. Rather than despair, Lyn lifted her chin and said, "No, our only hope is to see Marquess Caelin himself. We must hurry. If not, my grandfather…he will…I must see him. With my last breath if need be."

The rest of the troop seemed inspired by Lyn's words. Wil and Florina were both looking at her with awe-filled eyes, Lucius had an encouraging smile, Nils and Ninian looked as though they wanted to hug her, Rath watched her with a glimmer of respect behind his stony mask, and even Dorcas had a faint smile on his usually stiff and somber face.

"But we must formulate some manner of plan," said Matthew, glancing back at me. "Even if we set out for the castle, the troops patrolling the area will cause no end of problems. You have been branded as oathbreakers, after all."

As Matthew spoke, all eyes fixated on me. Apparently, even the mention of a plan made it my responsibility.

I shook my head. "I don't understand politics. Military strategy is something I studied, but politics is beyond me."

"Basic human interaction is beyond you," said Matthew with a grin.

I didn't disagree.

Worried expressions crossed everyone's faces as they exchanged glances and tried to come up with some sort of plan. If fighting couldn't break us into Castle Caelin, what would?

The problem was that we had a group of combat-ready people rather than a group of scholars. If you placed a soldier in front of them, Lyndis' Legion would know what to do, how to eliminate the threat within mere seconds. But coming up with a master plan to devoid Lord Lundgren of allies and gain Lyn support—that wasn't something our troop could comprehend.

However, it seemed Lyn had an idea.

"I've got it!" she cried. "Eliwood!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Eliwood?"

Lyn nodded enthusiastically. "He seemed sympathetic to our plight. He should still be in Kathelet. If we can talk to him, he might help us!"

That wasn't exactly a plan, I thought, but rather a deferment of responsibility. We were relying on someone else to make the plan. The idea made me grimace. Eliwood had seemed like a decent person—he had rescued Ninian from the Black Fag, after all—but I couldn't bring myself to trust him to save us. He'd seemed too sheltered, too kind, not capable of protecting Lyn (and, by default, me as well) from Lord Lundgren's forces.

The rest of Lyndis' Legion, however, thought this was a brilliant plan.

"Of course!" exclaimed Kent. "A sound idea!"

Sain repositioned his horse so that it was facing back the way we came. "Let's hurry!"

"Yes!" Lyn started running up the slope. "Back to Khathelet!"

I watched as Florina's pegasus took off, its white wings flapping and whipping my face with wind, and Rath's horse galloped up the hillside, its hooves sending clumps of dirt flying. Wil charged up the hill after Lyn, followed by the grim-faced Dorcas and pink-haired Serra. Erk and Lucius refused to run up the hill, but walked, their robes swaying in the slight breeze.

Standing at the bottom of the hill, watching the rest of them rush back to Khathelet, I couldn't help but hesitate. Going back could all be a mistake. Eliwood might be unable to help us or he might have left Khathelet already. The time we wasted going back might be the time it takes for the poison to finally claim Marquess Caelin.

I glanced over at Nils and Ninian, who hadn't moved from their spot at the base of the hill either. Ninian had her head bowed as she whispered something to Nils under her breath. Nils was watching the members of our troop race up the hill, a nervous expression on his pale face.

Ninian caught me watching them, and she pulled away from her younger brother.

"Nora," she asked. "What's wrong?"

"I'm thinking."

Nils and Ninian exchanged glances. Then, hands trembling, Ninian turned to me and asked, "Do you think it will be all right?"

I almost laughed aloud at such a ridiculous question, but I managed to contain myself so I wouldn't frighten the siblings.

"I don't know," I said, honestly. "No one ever knows. What's right? What's wrong? We can only make the best decision we can when the time comes and hope that it is the right decision. Lyn has chosen to return to Khathelet to ask Eliwood for help. So now we must make a choice of our own—do we trust Lyn's judgment or do we leave her to her fate?"

Ninian and Nils stared at me.

"Regret is useless," I said. "What's done is done. Your decisions stay with you, but you must keep going forward no matter what."

With a sigh, I adjusted the strap of my rucksack before starting the long trek back up the hill. My legs were going to be dead by the time we reached Khathelet. My physical stamina was almost nonexistent—there was a reason I was a tactician and not a swordsman. Maybe if I looked pitiful enough, Sain would let me ride his horse.

I glanced up the hill hopefully, but before I could spot Sain, Ninian said, "Thank you, Nora."

"What for?" I asked, still searching for the green knight.

"Your words have given us heart," said Ninian.

I gave up looking for Sain and turned to stare at her. "I just said that you're going to make a ton of decisions you'll regret, but you should stop crying about it and keep on living so that you can make more decisions to regret. It's a rather depressing picture. How does this give you heart exactly?"

Ninian frowned. "What?"

"Never mind." I sighed. "Interpret it how you want."

We hiked up the hill in silence for a moment, and then Nils laughed. "You remind me of my grandfather."

"Nils!" cried Ninian, her voice sharp with warning.

"It's true," said Nils. "Nora's grouchy and likes to eat a lot. Even the blunt ways she speaks reminds me of Grandfather."

Ninian opened her mouth to protest, but then she looked at me and sighed. "There is a sort of resemblance."

"Great," I muttered. "I'm like an old man."

Ninian and Nils exchanged glances, and suddenly, they were giggling.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." Nils tried and failed to stop himself from laughing. "I'm going to call you Grandfather Nora from now on."

My eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."

"Don't I dare what, Grandfather Nora?" Nils stared up at me; his red eyes were wide and innocent, but there was a demonic smirk at his lips.

"If you call me that one more time," I hissed. "I will put you in range of a ballista. The arrow will skewer you right through and we'll have roast Nils for dinner instead of bread and dried fish."

This only made Nils and Ninian laugh harder.

"Grandfather used to always make jokes about eating me too," said Nils.

"You think I'm joking?"

* * *

**A/N: Someone asked what Nora would do over the one year gap between Lyn and Eliwood's story. My answer - you'll find out when we get there. Thanks for the reviews! Y'all are awesome!**


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